Monitoring of Laser Consolidation Process of Metal Powder with High Speed Video Camera

This paper deals with the monitoring of laser consolidation process of ferrous based metal powder with high speed video camera. The melting process and solidifying process of metallic powder are observed in order to clarify the consolidation mechanism. The influences of layer thickness of the deposited powder on consolidation characteristics are investigated. Laser beam used is Yb:fiber laser with a spot diameter of 45 μm and a maximum powder of 40 W. A recording speed of high speed video camera is 10,000 fps. As a result, the aspect of consolidation process on powdered surface during laser beam irradiation was visualized.