4 research outputs found
Multi-Material Processing By Lens
During the past few years, solid freeform fabrication has evolved into direct fabrication of
metallic components using computer aided design (CAD) solid models. [1-4] Laser Engineered
Net Shaping (LENS™) is one such technique [5-7] being developed at Sandia to fabricate high
strength, near net shape metallic components. In the past two years a variety of components have
been fabricated using LENS™ for applications ranging from prototype parts to injection mold
tooling. [8]
To advance direct fabrication capabilities, a process must be able to accommodate a wide
range ofmaterials, including alloys and composites. This is important for tailoring certain
physical properties critical to component performance. Examples include graded deposition for
matching coefficient ofthermal expansion between dissimilar materials, layered fabrication for
novel mechanical properties, and new alloy design where elemental constituents and/or alloys are
blended to create new materials. In this paper, we will discuss the development ofprecise
powder feeding capabilities for the LENSTM process to fabricate graded or layered material parts.
We also present preliminary results from chemical and microstructural analysis.Mechanical Engineerin