Laser Preheating for Hot Crack Reduction in Direct Metal Deposition of Inconel 738LC

Welding of precipitation-hardenable nickel-based super alloys that contain large amounts of Al and Ti is challenging due to their high susceptibility to hot cracking. For metal additive manufacturing (AM) by powder bed fusion (PBF) or direct metal deposition (DMD), various welding process adjustments may prevent the formation of cracks. The aim of this study is the development and experimental characterization of a laser preheating process for DMD of Inconel 738LC. Metallographic cross-sections of multiple test specimens were analyzed to quantify the effect of initial substrate temperature, specimen geometry, deposition parameters, and scanning strategy on the resulting crack density. The results show that increased substrate temperature by laser preheating and reduced specimen size leads to crack-free deposited structures. Therefore, the proposed preheating process may be applied for part fabrication or repair by DMD to reduce or even completely prevent the risk of hot cracking.