Laser Metal Deposition of Titanium Alloy (Ti6Al4V): A Review

Laser metal deposition (LMD) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technologies in that belongs to the class of direct energy deposition which is suitable for manufacturing of alloys and composites materials. LMD is an efficient AM technique which is capable of producing end-use products starting from depositing the powder/wire material layer-by-layer. During LMD process, a laser beam is used as a heat source to generate a melt-pool on the substrate and melts the powder that is deposited through a co-axial nozzle and supported with a shielding gas that helps to prevent oxidation. LMD is capable of producing complex shaped and functionally graded parts which are useful in many industrial applications. This AM technology can also be used in repairing worn out parts that cannot be repaired by other manufacturing technology. In this paper, a review of laser metal deposition of titanium alloy is presented. This provides an overview of LMD of titanium alloys grade 5 (Ti6Al4V) and focuses on the effects of processing parameters on the overall evolving properties.