Continuous microstructure variations with graded properties in directed energy deposition

Directed energy deposition additive manufacturing is a versatile technique for fabricating complex geometries, where precise control of process parameters is crucial for tailoring microstructure and part properties. Microstructure control strategies usually involve variation of material composition (i.e., functionally graded materials) or interlayer time delay. However, the obtained microstructures are usually uniform in the print direction and exhibit sharp transitions from one layer to the next in the build direction. This paper targets continuous microstructural variation by exploiting active cooling strategies to control cooling conditions. To do so, the scanning speed is continuously varied, necessitating accommodating the bead size variations with non-standard trajectory generation based on a phenomenological law. The proposed strategy is demonstrated on thin-wall structures made of IN718 using a powder-based laser directed energy deposition. The results reveal a continuous microstructural transition along the print direction, characterized by two distinct microstructural regimes with markedly different morphological features and crystallographic textures. This demonstrates the capability of scanning speed modulation to engineer heterogeneous microstructures within a single component, offering insights into tailoring material properties for specific engineering applications.