Theoretical modeling of feedstock-laser energy interaction in directed energy deposition with simultaneous wire and powder feeding

Abstract

The Laser-based Directed Energy Deposition (L-DED) process is widely employed for the fabrication of numerous metallic parts. It also stands out as a crucial additive manufacturing (AM) technique for creating metal matrix composites (MMCs) reinforced with ceramic particles. The simultaneous deposition of wire and powder feedstocks into the created melt pools on the substrate surface proves advantageous in overcoming the limitations associated with mixed powders in powder deposition alone. The strategy of coaxial wire and powder deposition (CWP-DED) allows for more efficient construction of MMCs with complex geometries and desirable properties. Nevertheless, CWP-DED is a complex multi-phase deposition process that involves highly dynamic interactions among laser beams, wire, and powder particles, influencing laser energy distribution and absorption during the process. This work aims to develop a theoretical model to advance the fundamental understanding of the absorbed and lost laser beam energy by the fed wire and powders in CWP-DED before entering the melt pool. Laser energy absorption coefficients can be calculated based on the Step Wise Heating method to determine the final temperature of the powder particles and wire before entering the melt pool. The experimental validation of the proposed model requires a power meter that fits the CWP-DED system with six inclined laser beams, which is not commercially available so far, to measure the actual output power with and without wire and powder feeding. Consequently, this work presents a detailed explanation of the experimental procedure desired to measure the absorption coefficients of the wire and powder feedstocks and how to validate the proposed model as a future research endeavor. This model plays a vital role in predicting and understanding the amount of heat transferred into the melt pool, which lays a foundation for understanding the complicated melt pool thermodynamics that directly govern the microscopic characteristics and macroscopic properties of the as-built parts.