Laser-assisted direct manufacturing of functionally graded 3D objects

摘要

Coaxial powder injection into a laser beam was applied for the laser-assisted direct manufacturing of 3D functionally graded (FG) objects. The powders of Stainless Steel 316L and Stellite grade 12 were applied. The following laser sources were used: (1) quasi-cw CO_2 Rofin Sinar laser with 120 μm focal spot diameter and (2) pulsed-periodic Nd:YAG (HAAS HL 304P) with 200 μm focal spot diameter. The objects were fabricated layer-by-layer in the form of "walls", having the thickness of about 200 μm for CO2 laser and 300 μm for Nd:YAG laser. SEM analysis was applied for the FG objects fabricated by CO_2 laser, yielding wall elements distribution in vertical direction. It was found that microhardness distribution is fully correlated with the components distribution. The compositional gradient can be smooth or sharp. Periodic multi-layered structures can be obtained as well. Minimal thickness of a layer with the fixed composition (for cw CO_2 laser) is about 50 μm. Minimal thickness of a graded material zone, i.e. zone with composition variation from pure stainless steel to pure stellite is about 30 μm.