Process Parameter Development and Optimization of AlSi10Mg Alloy using Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) in a Large Inert Chamber

Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology has evolved the way components are designed, prototyped and manufactured. Additive Manufacturing (AM) based on powder as the base material can be classified into categories such as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Electron Beam Melting (EBM), Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) and Laser Metal Deposition (LMD). The LMD process allows layer-wise deposition of metal powders using a high-energy laser beam, creating complex near-net-shaped metallic parts. Characterized by excellent castability and mechanical properties, AlSi10Mg alloy is used in various industrial sectors such as aerospace, automotive and healthcare. LMD using AlSi10Mg alloy offers advantages such as reduced material waste, enhanced design freedom and improved part performance. This research focuses on the development and optimization of the process parameters that influence the quality and integrity of AlSi10Mg demonstrators produced via LMD. Development of parameters based on the deposition of single tracks using Design of Experiments (DOE) and observing the cross-section of these tracks to determine the porosity and the dilution of the material into the substrate. Further development of tracks such as thin walls to produce structures known as Added Value Functional Features (AVFFs), thereby increasing strength and providing a new generation of crash-resistant structures that can be implemented in the automotive industry.