Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS)

Rapid Prototyping - LENS^TM (Laser Engineered Net Shaping)

LENS (Laser Engineered Net Shaping) is a direct metal deposition system. It offers a unique solution for the aerospace repair and overhaul marketplace. This technology allows repair to be performed faster and with greater reliability using a broad range of materials.

The LENS process provides a solution to satisfy these demanding requirements. Developed at Sandia National Laboratories, the LENS direct metal deposition technology provides a process that produce near net-shaped metal parts directly from computer-generated designs. A high-powered laser beam is focused onto a substrate where metallic powder is injected under computer guidance to build up three-dimensional metal parts layer by layer until the part is complete.

The LENS process produces fully dense materials. Due to the rapid solidification that occurs during processing, superior strength and ductility are achieved for most metal alloys. The same system can be used for repair, hard facing, and 3D structural fabrication. The LENS technology can have an immediate impact on current repair techniques. Advantages include process automation, low heat-induced stress and distortion, the ability to process difficult-to-weld materials, etc.

As the expected lifetime for military and commercial aircraft continues to be extended, more sophisticated repair and overhaul techniques are required. This includes improving existing methods as well as developing new ones to enhance repair capabilities. Components such as turbine blades, vanes, impellers, stator assemblies, rotating air seals, etc., are just a few types of the components that can be refurbished to extend the life of existing structures. The performance and reliability of these components are critical. For some of these parts, a hard facing layer may provide an adequate repair solution. However, many other components require more complicated repair processes and are made from difficult-to-process materials. These repairs can involve 3D features, radial-oriented structures, and directionally solidified or single crystal materials. The repair process needs to be capable of using a broad range of materials without compromising the parent material properties.