Effect of layer thickness setting on deposition characteristics in direct energy deposition (DED) process

Direct energy deposition is an additive manufacturing technique that involves the melting of metal powder with a high-powered laser beam and is used to build a variety of components. In laser-assisted metal deposition, the mechanical and metallurgical properties achieved are influenced by many factors. This paper addresses methods for selecting an appropriate layer thickness setting, which is an important parameter in layer-by-layer deposition manufacturing. A new procedure is proposed for determining the layer thickness setting for use in slicing of a part based on the single-layer height for a given depositing condition. This procedure was compared with a conventional method that uses an empirically determined layer thickness and with a feedback control method. The micro-hardness distribution, location of the melting pool, and microstructures of the deposited layers after deposition of a simple target shape were investigated for each procedure. The experimental results show that even though the feedback control method is the most effective method for obtaining the desired geometry, the deposited region was characterized by inhomogeneity of micro-hardness due to the time-variable depositing conditions involved. The largest dimensional error was associated with the conventional deposition procedure, which produced a rise in the melting zone due to over-deposition with respect to the slicing thickness, especially at the high laser power level considered. In contrast, the proposed procedure produced a stable melting zone position during deposition, which resulted in the deposited part having reasonable dimensional accuracy and uniform micro-hardness throughout the deposited region.