Modelling Powder Concentration Distribution From a Coaxial Deposition Nozzle for Laser-Based Rapid Tooling

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Abstract
Direct laser deposition is a solid freeform fabrication process that is capable of producing fully dense components with full structural integrity and is greatly enhanced by the use of an omnidirectional coaxial powder nozzle to supply the build material. In order to optimize the technique, accurate control of the two critical operational parameters of material feed rate and incident laser power intensity is necessary. Both parameters are affected by the axial powder stream concentration between the nozzle and the deposition point. In this work, a mathematical model for the powder concentration distribution is developed and the results from it compared with an experimental investigation using optical and image analysis techniques. The two show good agreement. The application of the model to the evaluation of nozzle geometry and the calculation of laser beam attenuation are demonstrated.