North Scottish Branch and ICorr In-person Technical Presentation

The Welding Institute North Scottish Branch and ICorr In-person Technical Presentation:  Laser Additive Manufacturing - Coatings, Repair, and Net-Shape Manufacture.

This technical presentation is a joint in-person event between  the Welding Institute North Scottish Branch and The Institute of Corrosion.

What will the event cover?

Laser additive manufacturing (AM), specifically Laser-Directed Energy Deposition (L-DED) and Extreme High-Speed Laser Application (EHLA), are advanced manufacturing techniques that can be used for a range of different applications. Traditional L-DED uses powder or wire to build up a part layer-by-layer allowing the fabrication of near-net shape parts. EHLA is a variation on the powder-based L-DED process, where the laser beam and powder are focused just above the surface of the substrate instead of on the substrate surface reducing the size of the melt pool. Not only does this allow for much greater processing speeds (100+ m/min for some applications), but it also reduces the heat affected zone (HAZ) and produces coatings that are much thinner than traditional laser cladding (~0.2mm).

Meanwhile, the use of wire feedstock is situated as critical to the AM process. PPL™ (Precision Power Laser™) uses an arc-free hot-wire laser process with standard MIG consumables, offering high deposition rates, good dilution control and greater material efficiency than powder processes. This may make PPL attractive for larger repairs, joining and manufacture of thermal-management components for data centres, although wire delivery can provide less geometric freedom than coaxial powder DED. Together, these technologies are powerful tools for use across sectors, providing their own benefits and use cases for both manufacture and repair. 

What will you learn? 

This presentation will provide an overview of the L-DED, PPL and EHLA technologies and their role in advanced manufacturing. It will discuss how AM has evolved and how it can help shape sustainable manufacturing through reduced material usage and the ability to repair high-value and resource intensive parts. The presentation will provide a detailed summary of each technology including how they work, material feedstock used, and key design and deposition considerations. The session will highlight key advantages of each process such a high mechanical performance, low distortion and the ability to process a range of different materials for different applications, including hard facing options for corrosion and wear resistance.

Within the session, a selection of case studies of work undertaken at TWI will be presented demonstrating applications across energy, aerospace, automotive and beyond. This will include the key findings from the COMPASS project – a Horizon Europe project which aimed to develop improved and innovative drilling technologies for geothermal energy. Within this project, TWI investigated EHLA for internal bore cladding of corrosion resistant alloys (CRAs) on geothermal pipes with a view to reducing the costs and environmental load of using monolithic CRAs at large scale.

Our industry expert:

Dr. Emma Woods, Senior Engineer - Laser Additive Manufacture, TWI Ltd

Meet the speaker: 

Since joining TWI, Emma has worked on a range of different projects including processing of refractory metals by laser-directed energy deposition and the use of EHLA for dimensional repair and hard coatings. Her PhD specialised in the manufacture and simulation of metamaterial lenses fabricated by two-photon polymerisation, and included a Masters year covering all AM processes, giving her a deep technical understanding of AM design and processing. In addition to her PhD, Emma holds an MSci in Physics. Her career includes a mix of engineering and project management roles across industries including software, clinical trials, and defence.

Benefits from attending the event:

• Attend in-person For a friendly, low-pressure way to see what the branch is like (come along even if you don’t know anyone.)
• Meet local peers and make useful connections wherever you join from. It’s a welcoming, inclusive space for new voices and first-time attendees.
• Practical takeaways you can use straight away, shared by people working in the industry right now. 
• Interactive discussion and Q&A with questions taken from the room. Bring your real questions and get honest, helpful answers.
• Get involved at your own pace. Attend in-person to see what events and branches are like, and then you can help shape what the branch does next.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD):

The Welding Institute awards points towards CPD for delegates attending this webinar. Every hour attendance of an event will earn 2 points towards your continuing professional development.