Studies on the Use of Laser Directed Energy Deposition for the Additive Manufacturing of Lightweight Parts

Abstract

Despite the numerous benefits of battery electric vehicles, their relatively short maximal range compared to internal combustion engine vehicles limits their attractiveness to the consumer. Implementing lightweight structures is one solution to reduce the mass of the vehicle, which in turn lowers the energy consumption and thus extends the maximal range. Additive Manufacturing processes, such as the Laser Directed Energy Deposition (DED-LB), offer great potential for the resource-efficient manufacturing of lightweight components because they allow producing near-net-shaped parts of variable sizes and geometries. Therefore, in this study, DED-LB was assessed concerning its use for the rapid manufacturing or modification of lightweight parts. The additive process was performed on EN AW 6060 aluminum extrusion profiles commonly found in battery electric vehicles and an AlSi10Mg wire was used as feedstock. The investigations included temperature and microhardness measurements. Furthermore, the effect of the deposition rate on the geometric quality of the part was investigated. The results indicate that DED-LB can be performed on thin-walled structures to produce defect-free components. Furthermore, the findings reveal a trade-off between a fast build-up and the surface quality of the parts. Notably, it was observed that the different deposition rates had no impact on the hardness of the produced parts. Further studies on heat management are needed to optimize the process for producing lightweight parts with improved mechanical properties.