Directed energy deposition of Ti6Al4V wire with continuous layer varied laser power

The laser-based directed energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing enables the efficient fabrication of metallic parts. The layer-wise performance in DED-built metallic parts is challenging to remain consistent due to the intricate heat accumulation. As such, it is of significance to control the printing quality by adjusting the process settings with layers. In this work, we used DED to achieve Ti6Al4V wire deposition with continuously layer-varied laser power. Three laser power settings were selected to investigate the variation in defects, microstructure, and mechanical properties with layers. Our findings suggested that optimizing real-time laser power is critical for achieving desirable manufacturing efficiency and resultant performance in the DED of metallic materials. This research provides valuable guidelines for parameter optimization in DED processes, aiming to enhance the production quality and performance of high-strength metallic components, particularly in sectors demanding high-performance materials.