Laser-Assisted Additive Manufacturing of Metals and Alloys

Dear Colleagues,

The number of published works on additive manufacturing (AM) is ever-increasing, especially regarding laser-based AM techniques for which improvements in laser sources or novel process developments are systematic every two or three years. A recent example is the development of new high power laser sources, operating in the 450–532 nm wavelength range, and more adapted to highly reflective metals under IR irradiation such as copper or gold. Moreover, the global understanding of novel microstructures induced by strongly out-of-equilibrium thermodynamic conditions, such as those obtained with powder bed fusion, is much better than three years ago. Lastly, the numerical modelling of AM processes has been improved worldwide, with a better agreement with the associated physics, and at the different investigated scales (micro, meso, macro).

For all these reasons, and following the real success of the first edition in Metals compiled in late 2020, with 21 published papers on a large range of topics, we have decided to open a second Special Issue on Additive Manufacturing of Metals with Lasers. This new issue, just as the first was, is open to the most recent achievements on laser–aided additive manufacturing techniques.

The topics addressed in this new session are as follows : (1) the physics of laser absorption, melt pool hydrodynamics and process instabilities, including experimental, analytical and numerical works; (2) the optimization of process parameters to limit defects generation and ensure optimum parts’ densification, with a specific focus on innovative building strategies or laser starting conditions; (3) the detailed analysis of microstructures of as-built or thermally treated AM materials, including newly built metals, complex materials (metal matrix composites, graded materials, hot-cracking metals) and most of all the capability of tuning microstructures with adapted building conditions; (4) the thermo-hydrodynamical or thermo-mechanical modelling of AM laser process; (5) the fatigue, wear or corrosion properties of manufactured parts; (6) the post-processing (heat treatments, hot-isostatic pressing, dedicated surface finishing) of nearly dense or architectured laser-built structures; (7) the hybridization of AM processes (additive + subtractive techniques, additive + finishing processes).

On all of these topics, and with more or less interdisciplinarity, there is still a huge amount of work to be done to (1) understand the underlying physics and favor the industrial dissemination of laser-based AM techniques existing processes, and (2) contribute to the emergence of novel laser-based additive processes.

In this rather competitive context, please feel free to submit your work and contribute to a very high quality second session.

Prof. Dr. Patrice Peyre
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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• Laser
• Additive
• Metals
• Microstructures
• Experiments
• Simulations