Laser-Assisted Additive Manufacturing of Ni-Based Superalloy Components

Abstract

AbstractLight amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (laser) as a coherent and monochromatic electromagnetic radiation with high power density has widely been exploited for various kinds of material processing covering melting, machining, joining, depositing, and surface engineering. The most exciting application of laser now concerns laser-assisted additive manufacturing (LAM) that can fabricate a component, tool, device, machine, or a complete engineering system starting from a very small volume of material through an intelligent scheme of molten droplet integration continued along lateral and vertical direction following a computer-aided design protocol. Successful implementation of LAM has now made it possible to design and develop not just simple but complex components of most intricate design, novel composition, and challenging application. In this chapter, a comprehensive review of the utility and success of LAM of Ni-based superalloy components covering relevant aspects of dimensional precision, microstructural evolution, compositional heterogeneity or segregation, and mechanical properties of interest is presented along with a brief commentary on a few commercialized components already adopted by the aerospace industry. Finally, the scope of adopting LAM in reduced gravity extraterrestrial space is elucidated as a future scope of investigation to explore and understand the origin and evolution of solid matter in the universe.KeywordsLaserSuperalloyAdditive manufacturingMicrostructureProperties