Laser Material Deposition

Our range of services

At the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Laser Material Deposition (LMD) has been intensively researched and systematically developed for a wide range of applications and industries for more than 30 years.

With LMD, metal layers with thicknesses between 0.01 mm and 2 mm can be applied with high precision to almost any metallic material in a very short time. By overlapping several deposited tracks, two-dimensional coatings, for example for wear and corrosion protection or functional coatings, can be produced. If several layers are deposited on top of each other, the process can also be used for additive manufacturing including processes for repair applications and individualization of prefabricated parts (hybrid AM). Due to the precisely controllable energy input, components and alloys that are generally considered difficult to weld can be processed. The easy adaptability and flexibility for different fields of application (coating, repair and additive manufacturing) and its simple integrability into existing process chains make the process particularly attractive for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Beschichtung einer PKW-Bremsscheibe mittels EHLA.
© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen.
Coating of a car brake disc using EHLA
6-Achs-Knickarm-Roboter mit Draht-Auftragschweißkopf und Werkzeugwechsler.
© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen.
6-axis robot with processing head for wire LMD and tool changer
Hybrid-additiv gefertigte BLISK mit Prozessmessdaten-Repräsentation.
© Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen.
Process measurement data projected on a BLISK produced with hybrid additive manufacturing

Fraunhofer ILT supports you from idea generation and consulting to the development of adapted processes, system technology and process monitoring up to process transfer to customized machines. A wide range of available machine and system technology, analysis capacity and comprehensive know-how in development for diverse user industries, such as aerospace, automotive or energy, allow the efficient implementation of a diverse projects.

Coating LMD and Heat Treatment

  • Laser Material Deposition with layer thicknesses starting at 30 µm
  • Extreme High-speed Laser Material Deposition (EHLA)
  • Wear and corrosion protection, as well as functional layers
  • Development of ready-to-use processes for large-scale production
  • Process chains for Laser Material Deposition with integration of upstream and downstream process steps
  • Pre-development, conversion and equipping of innovative plant and system technology for powder-based processes
  • Development of customized materials
  • Qualification of new material classes (e. g. HEA)
  • Graded and hybrid materials
  • Processing of extreme brittle materials

Viktor Glushych M. Sc.

Phone: +49 241 8906-152
E-Mail: viktor.glushych@ilt.fraunhofer.de

 

Additive manufacturing and repair LMD

  • Process development and validation for additive manufacturing and repair using Laser Material Deposition with various kinematics (CNC, robotic, and tripod)
  • Additive manufacturing and repair of large, high-value components
  • Powder-based Laser Material Deposition with specially adapted powder feed system technology
  • Wire-based Laser Material Deposition with specially developed coaxial wire welding optics
  • EHLA3D: further development of the highly productive EHLA coating process for additive manufacturing and free-form surface processing
  • System-integrated scanning and adaptive path planning on free-form surfaces

Min-Uh Ko M.Sc.

Phone: +49 241 8906-8441
E-Mail: min-uh.ko@ilt.fraunhofer.de

Brochures

Our brochures offer a quick view onto our service portfolio. Find more detailed information in the “project results“ tab.

 

"Effective protection against wear and corrosion with the EHLA-Process"

 

"Laser technology for repair and functionalization"

 

"System engineering for powder-based laser cladding"

 

"Material development for Additive Manufacturing"

Videos

 

Effective brake disc protection with EHLA

 

Cost-efficient 3D printing with wire LMD

 

ProLMD: Process and system technology for hybrid additive manufacturing with LMD

 

futureAM - Next Generation Additive Manufacturing

 

Corrosion protection: coating components with LMD

 

More Videos

A selection of videos on additive manufacturing and other R&D topics can be found on the Fraunhofer ILT YouTube page. 

-> Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis 2018 for the EHLA team

Branches

Laser technology can solve demanding tasks in many different industries. Whether as a tool in automotive production, as measuring equipment in the environmental sector, as a diagnostic or therapeutic instrument in medical technology or as a communication medium in space technology, the laser provides multiple uses with high productivity and high efficiency.

Read up about the innovations of the Fraunhofer ILT in a few selected industries and convince yourself!

 

Research with us!

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about general topics! Our contact persons are happy to get in touch with you.

Project Results

Here you will find a selection of approved project results (annual reports), as PDF downloads, from the range of products and services on “Laser Material Deposition“ from the last few years. Are you looking for further information? Simply get in touch with us - our contact persons will be happy to answer your questions and talk to you.

Process and application development

Schaible, J., Hau, L. A., Schopphoven, T., Pirch, N., Schleifenbaum, J. H., Brucki, M.: 
Analysis of the Process Conditions for the Coating of Grey Cast Iron Brake Discs through Laser Material Deposition
EuroBrake EB2020-MDS-020 (2020)
https://doi.org/10.46720/eb2020-mds-020

Bobzin, K., Wietheger, W., Knoch, M. A., Sommer, J., Brucki, M., Schopphoven, T., Schleifenbaum, J. H., Häfner, C.:
Kombination einer laserauftraggeschweißten Korrosionsschutzschicht und einer thermisch gespritzten Verschleißschutzschicht
Thermal Spray Bulletin 72 (2020) (2) 114-121

Zhao, T., Dahmen, M., Cai, W., Alkhayat, M., Schaible, J., Zhong, C., Hong, C., Biermann, T., Zhang, H., Gu D., Weisheit, A., Gasser, A., Schleifenbaum J.H.:
Laser Metal Deposition for Additive Manufacturing of AA5024 and Nanoparticulate TiC Modified AA5024 Alloy Composites Prepared with Balling Milling Process.
OPTICS AND LASER TECHNOLOGY 131, 106438- (14 S.), (2020)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optlastec.2020.106438 (Open Access)

Zhong, C., Liu, J., Zhao, T., Schopphoven T., Fu, J., Gasser, A., Schleifenbaum J.H.:
Laser Metal Deposition of Ti6Al4V—A Brief Review.
Appl. Sci.10(3), 764 (12 S.), (2020)
https://doi.org/10.3390/app10030764 (Open Access)

Bold, M., Linnenbrink, S., Pirch, N., Gasser, A., Mund, J., Schleifenbaum, J. H.:
Powder Based Laser Material Deposition on Edges
The 38th International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics (ICALEO® 2019). October 7-10, 2019, ORLANDO, FL USA.  ICALEO 2019  Proceedings, paper LAM 404 (9 S.) (2019)

Pirch, N., Niessen, M., Linnenbrink, S., Schopphoven, T., Gasser, A., Poprawe, R., Schöler, C.,  Arntz, D., Schulz, W.:
Temperature field and residual stress distribution for laser metal deposition
JLA 30 (3), 32503- (5 S.) (2018)

Zhong, C., Pirch, N., Gasser, A., Poprawe, R., Schleifenbaum, J.H.:
The Influence of the Powder Stream on High-Deposition-Rate Laser Metal Deposition with Inconel 718
Metals (7), 443 (13 S.) (2017)

Zhong, C., Pirch, N., Gasser, A., Poprawe, R., Schleifenbaum, J.H.:
The Influence of the Powder Stream on High-Deposition-Rate Laser Metal Deposition with Inconel 718.
Metals (7), 443 (13 S.) (2017)

Pirch, N., Linnenbrink, S., Gasser, A., Wissenbach, K, Poprawe, R.:
Analysis of track formation during laser metal deposition
J. Laser Appl. 29 (2) 22506 (5 S.) (2017)

Alkhayat, M., Gasser, A., Arntz, K., Klingbeil, N., Vollmer, T. :
Additive Fertigung "Vom Pulver zum Fertigteil" In: Ressourceneffizienz
Neugebauer, Reimund (Hrsg.) Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Vieweg. 151-152 (2017)

Schopphoven, T., Gasser, A., Wissenbach, K., Poprawe, R.:
Investigations on ultra-high-speed laser material deposition as alternative for hard chrome plating and thermal spraying
J. Laser Appl. 28, 022501 (9 S.) (2016)

Zhong, C., Gasser, A., Kittel, J., Wissenbach, K., Poprawe, R.:
Improvement of material performance of Inconel 718 formed by high deposition-rate laser metal deposition
Materials Design 98, 128-134 (2016)

Zhong, C., Gasser, A., Kittel, J., Fu, J., Ding, Y., Poprawe, R.:
Microstructures and tensile properties of Inconel 718 formed by high deposition-rate laser metal deposition
J. Laser Appl. 28, 22010 (8 S.) (2016)

Klocke, F., Poprawe, R., Schmitt, R., Gasser, A., Arntz, K., Grosse Böckmann, M., Klingbeil, N., Kerkhoff, J., Vollmer, T., Wegener, M., Alkhayat, M.:
Investigation and assessment of a laser addiditve manufacturing based process chain by the example of an injection mold
Proc. of the 3rd Fraunhofer Direct Digital Manufacturing Conference (DDMC16), Berlin, Germany (5 S.) (2016)

Systems engineering

Schaible, J., Hau, L. A., Weber, D., Schopphoven, T., Häfner, C., Schleifen-baum, J. H.:
Particle Velocity Measurement in Powder Gas Jets of Coaxial Powder Nozzles for Laser Material Deposition
39th International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics, October 18-21, 2021, San Diego.
ICALEO 2020 Proceedings, paper 4 (10 S.) (2020)
https://doi.org/10.2351/7.0000296

Schaible, J., Sayk, L., Schopphoven, T., Schleifenbaum, J. H., Häfner, C.:
Development of a High-speed Laser Material Deposition Process for Additive Manufacturing
39th International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics, October 18-21, 2021, San Diego. ICALEO 2020 Proceedings, paper 119 (10 S.) (2020)
https://doi.org/10.2351/7.0000320

T. Schopphoven, J. H. Schleifenbaum, S. Tharmakulasingam, and O. Schulte:
Setting Sights on a 3D Process: Extreme high-speed laser material deposition, or EHLA, is now being developed into an additive manufacturing process
PhotonicsViews, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 64–68 (2019)
doi: 10.1002/phvs.201900041

Kelbassa, J., Gasser, A., Bremer, J., Pütsch, O., Poprawe, R., Schleifenbaum, J.H.:
Equipment and process windows for laser metal deposition with coaxial wire feeding
Journal of Laser Applications 31, 22320- (2019)
https://doi.org/10.2351/1.5096112

Pirch, N., Niessen, M., Linnenbrink, S., Schopphoven, T., Gasser, A., Poprawe, R., Schöler, C., Arntz, D., Schulz, W.:
Temperature field and residual stress distribution for laser metal deposition
36th Int. Congr. on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics, ICALEO, Oct. 22-26, 2017, Atlanta, GA USA. Paper 1204 (5 S.) (2017)

Klocke, F., Vollmer, T., Klingbeil, N., Wegener, M., Alkhayat, M., Lahl, M., Kluth, A. :
E3-Produktion: Ultrakurze Prozessketten bewerten und verbessern
ZWF – Zs. Wirtschaftl. Fabrikbetrieb 2016 (09), 527-530 (2016)

Gasser, A.:
Fertigen und Instandsetzen mit generativen Laserverfahren
MM Maschinenmarkt 38, 44-47 (2014)

Digitalization concepts for Laser Material Deposition

Ünal-Saewe, T., Vedder, C., Vervoort, S., Schleifenbaum, J.H.: 
Digitaler Zwilling im Produktlebenszyklus additiv gefertigter Komponenten
Frenz W. (eds) Handbuch Industrie 4.0: Recht, Technik, Gesellschaft. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. (2020)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58474-3_30

Poprawe, R., Hinke, C., Meiners, W., Eibl, F., Zarei, O., Voshage, M., Ziegler, S., Schleifenbaum, J. H., Gasser, A., Schopphoven, T., Willenborg, E., Flemmer, J., Weingarten, C., Finger, J., Reininghaus, M.:
Digital photonic production along the lines of industry 4.0
Laser Applications in Microelectronic and Optoelectronic Manufacturing (LAMOM) XXIII, Proceedings Volume 10519; 1051907 (2018)
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2292316

Klocke, F., Poprawe, R., Schmitt, R., Gasser, A., Arntz, K., Grosse Böckmann, M., Klingbeil, N., Kerkhoff, J., Vollmer, T., Wegener, M., Alkhayat, M.:
Investigation and assessment of a laser addiditve manufacturing based process chain by the example of an injection mold
Proc. of the 3rd Fraunhofer Direct Digital Manufacturing Conference (DDMC16), Berlin, Germany (5 S.) (2016)

Bi, G., Sun, C. N., Gasser, A.: 
Study on influential factors for process monitoring and control in laser aided additive manufacturing
J. Mat. Proc. Technol. 213 (3), 463-468 (2013)

Our services cover a wide range of topics. Related topics to laser material deposition and further research and development focuses can be found under the following links.