Product Code: PIC2008_906

Process Control on Laser Cladding by Coaxial Vision for Direct Manufacturing of 3D Metallic Structures
Authors:
Mehdi Guiraud, Gip Gerailp; Arcueil France
Pascal Aubry, Gip Gerailp; Arcueil France
Thierry Malot, Gerailp; Cedex France
Kevin Verdier, Gerailp; Cedex France
Presented at PICALO 2008

This article presents investigations carried out on the generation of metallic 3D structures. In order to generate 3D complex structures in laser cladding, it is important to control the deposition process. In this article, we present our new results on the process control design and implementation for direct manufacturing with a large integration of measures, commands and process capabilities. The system is able to measure the size and height of the melt pool by coaxial vision. A special attention is made on the z-height control. Thus, we present the design of the control system. The control system command the laser power, deposition speed and the powder flow, that will be presented in detail. Then, a calibration and tuning process is described and, finally, some experiments are made to demonstrate the capabilities of the control system.