Laser Assisted High Pressure Cold Spray of Aluminum Alloys for Structural Applications

Metal additive manufacturing has dramatically improved the manufacturability of complex parts; however, no AM technology is currently capable of direct manufacturing of large 3D components made of structural aluminum alloys. In order to address this challenge, the NRC has recently been exploring different process routes for cold spray. Cold spray of aluminum alloy powders can produce dense deposits, yet deposits produced with nitrogen as the process gas can suffer from low strength and ductility even after post-spray heat treatment. In this work, laser assisted high pressure cold spray of 7075 aluminum alloy powder has been performed to improve as-sprayed deposit quality and increase the efficacy of post-spray processing. Preliminary results reveal significant changes can be produced in deposit microstructure and ductility in comparison to conventionally sprayed material.