Scalable Adaptive Laser Array for Additive Manufacturing (SALAAM)

The major drawback of existing laser systems for metal laser additive manufacturing (LAM) is the lack of agile/adaptive control of laser beam characteristics during deposition and after-processing of each layer. The desired improvement of micro-structure and surface finish, mitigation of residual stress, and increase of processing speed are difficult to achieve with the currently used technology based on utilization of a single Gaussian-shape laser beam for powder material processing. The proposed Scalable Adaptive Laser Array for Additive Manufacturing (SALAAM) Phase II development is based on emerging high-power coherent fiber array and adaptive beam control technologies developed by the Optonicus for DoD (directed energy) applications for almost a decade. In the SALAAM approach, multiple beams for LAM are generated in a coherent fiber-collimator array system composed of a densely packed array of adaptive fiber-collimators, with integrated capabilities for individual precision beam pointing and steering using Optonicus-developed fiber-tip x-y position control modules. The SALAAM system enables the development advanced laser energy sources and control systems capable of simultaneous projection of several laser beams whose characteristics, such as optical power, focal spot size, angular pointing and steering, can be individually controlled to generate optimally-shaped spatiotemporal distributions of laser power at the powder material.