Laser engineered net shaping (LENS) for the fabrication of metallic components

Conference · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:238350

Griffith, M L; Keicher, D L; Romero, J A; Atwood, C L; Harwell, L D; Greene, D L ^[1]; Smugeresky, J E ^[2]

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1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States)

Solid free form fabrication is a fast growing automated manufacturing technology that has reduced the time between initial concept and fabrication. Starting with CAD renditions of new components, techniques such as stereolithography and selective laser sintering are being used to fabricate highly accurate complex 3-D objects using polymers. Together with investment casting, sacrificial polymeric objects are used to minimize cost and time to fabricate tooling used to make complex metal casting. This paper describes recent developments in LENS{trademark} (Laser Engineered Net Shaping) to fabricate the metal components {ital directly} from CAD solid models and thus further reduce the lead time. Like stereolithography or selective sintering, LENS builds metal parts line by line and layer by layer. Metal particles are injected into a laser beam where they are melted and deposited onto a substrate as a miniature weld pool. The trace of the laser beam on the substrate is driven by the definition of CAD models until the desired net-shaped densified metal component is produced.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 238350
• Report Number(s): SAND--96-1293C; CONF-9605172--1; ON: DE96010984
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING
FABRICATION
NEODYMIUM LASERS