In-situ high-speed X-ray imaging of piezo-driven directed energy deposition additive manufacturing

Powder-blown laser additive manufacturing adds flexibility, in terms of locally varying powder materials, to the ability of building components with complex geometry. Although the process is promising, porosity is common in a built component, hence decreasing fatigue life and mechanical strength. The understanding of the physical phenomena during the interaction of a laser beam and powder-blown deposition is limited and requires in-situ monitoring to capture the influences of process parameters on powder flow, absorptivity of laser energy into the substrate, melt pool dynamics and porosity formation. This study introduces a piezo-driven powder deposition system that allows for imaging of individual powder particles that flow into a scanning melt pool. Here, in-situ high-speed X-ray imaging of the powder-blown additive manufacturing process of Ti-6Al-4V powder particles is the first of its kind and reveals how laser-matter interaction influences powder flow and porosity formation.