More design freedom. More flexibility. More applications. Additive manufacturing (AM) is offering more for manufacturers every day. An AM technology called directed energy deposition (DED) provides new capabilities for forming, enhancing, and repairing parts — making it an exciting new tool in the always growing AM toolbox. Melanie Lang, CEO and co-founder of FormAlloy joined our favorite professors – Dr. Tom Kurfess and Dr. Kyle Saleeby – to chat about DED technology and its accessibility for non-professors. DED uses focused thermal energy to fuse materials by melting as they are being deposited. It has distinct capabilities that set it apart from binder jetting and powder bed fusion technologies. “It is very exciting technology because it can be used in a variety of different ways, since you are putting material where you need it — from repair and enhancement to forming,” Lang explains. “It is always nice to have multi-tool applications that can do more than one thing.” FormAlloy’s machines allow operators to vary materials in each part layer and to create multi-material parts. Operators can also choose which way to build parts, giving them more design freedom and flexibility and allowing for more complex geometries. Beyond material and design flexibility, DED systems are built with extensive monitoring and control capabilities. “We are able to provide excellent surface finish and high build speeds largely because of our monitoring and control systems,” Lang explains. “We have eyes and ears on exactly what is happening in the machine and in the melt pool, so we can easily identify the optimal process parameters using sensors.” DED systems were designed to run, operate, and be repeatable much like a machine tool, making them easier for machinists to adopt. Lang notes, “These machines are not just for material scientists and Ph.Ds. We build tools meant for the workforce we have now — and that includes CNC operators.” In addition to an intuitive operating system that will be familiar to anyone who has used a CNC machine, DED systems were also built to make data collection easy. The machine can easily provide raw data for scientists, as well as a simple build report for machine operators and project managers that summarizes what happened in the build and highlights anomalies. While many shops have been hesitant to adopt AM, DED systems make it easier to integrate by offering multiple capabilities as well as easy accessibility. Maybe it’s time to retire those objections and become a DED head.
Directed energy deposition (DED) is an additive manufacturing process that provides new capabilities for forming, enhancing, and repairing parts — no Ph.D. is required to become a DED Head.