UNDERSTANDING THERMAL BEHAVIOR IN THE LENS PROCESS

Abstract In direct laser metal deposition technologies, such as the laser engineered net shaping (LENS) process, it is important to understand and control the thermal behavior during fabrication. With this control, components can be reliably fabricated with desired material properties. This paper will describe the use of contact and imaging techniques to monitor the thermal signature during LENS processing. Development of an understanding of solidification behavior, residual stress, and microstructural evolution with respect to thermal behavior will be discussed.