When operating any type of mechanical equipment with moving parts, repairing or rebuilding worn metal components is part of everyday life. Repairing worn components typically saves dollars over purchasing new ones. When a worn part is rebuilt, the potential also exists to repair that component in such a manner that it will have a longer wear life than a new part.

Directed Energy Deposition (DED) has a number of key benefits over other repair techniques that make it possible to repair some parts that were previously considered un-repairable. Using other techniques, either the part could not physically be repaired, or it was not economically feasible to perform the repair.
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Some of the benefits of DED over other repair techniques are:

• Metallurgical Bond versus Mechanical Bond
  The DED process creates a metallurgical bond which is much stronger than the mechanical bond created using spray welding or plating techniques.
• Low, Controlled Heat Input
  The DED process creates very low and controllable heat input with minimal dilution and heat effect zones.
• Minimal Stress and Distortion Created by Deposits
• Rapid Cooling Rates
• Cost Effective for Repairs and Manufacturing​

The key benefits of DED over other techniques are that it 1) creates a stronger bond and 2) inputs less heat to the part being repaired. The benefits of the stronger bond are obvious. The lower heat input means less distortion of the part during the repair process. These two benefits make the DED process unique.

Common Applications.

REPAIR

• Blades/Airfoils
• Blisks
• Drums
• Labyrinth Seals
• Tooling Marks/Gouges
• Shaft Tapers, Threads, and Bearing Surfaces

CLADDING

• Shaft Tapers, Threads, and Bearing Surfaces
• Add Wear Material to local diameters
• Build up of Flanges to standard Pipe/Tube
• Coupler Surfaces

Case Studies.

Part as repaired with Thermal Spray

4ft Part

Repaired Surface

​4340 
​Atomizer Shaft 

• This 4340 Atomizer Shaft is a high speed (8800rpm) precision shaft used in “Flue Gas Desulfurization” (FGD) scrubber systems.
• Shafts were previously repaired by a Spray Process featuring a “Mechanical Bond.” 
• Laser Repair utilizes a “Metallurgical Bond” that generates a high quality permanent repair
• Repair includes deposition of 420L SS to tapered fit section and seal surface

Cladding 4 ft diameter surface

Final Part - 4 ft diameter

Cladding 20" OD

Final Part - 20" OD

​Bearing Surfaces

• Replaces tool steel parts with long lead time
• Cladding steel with CoCr material on wear surfaces only
• Improved part life on average by 2X-3X conventional part lifetime

ID Deposition

ID in vertical position

ID Head Configurations

ID Surface Repair

• Repair or add wear resistive materials to ID surfaces
• ID head capabable of depositing in 2.25" (57mm) ID cylinders, up to 24" (609 mm) deep
• Multiple orientations possible

Damaged Shaft

Laser Repaired Shaft and Thread

Final Machined

SS Atomizer Shaft

• Atomizer shaft operates at 13,000 RPM
• Seal area of shaft was worn and repaired with 420L SS
• Nut and threads were repaired using 316L SS

Undersized Forging

Laser Repair of outer lip

Laser Repaired Part

Final Machined Ti-6Al-4V Driver Plate

Ti-6Al-4V Driver Plate

• Forging delivered undersized (no outer lip)
• Laser deposited the outer lip oversized and final machined to print