| Abstract Scope |
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) commonly employs Gaussian lasers that concentrate energy near the beam center, producing steep thermal gradients, evaporation, and plume formation. These effects drive powder spattering and melt-pool instabilities, which contribute to porosity, surface roughness, and reduced process robustness. To resolve these challenges, this study will develop and evaluate beam-shaping strategies that redistribute energy away from peak intensities, reduce recoil-pressure-driven fluctuations, and promote more uniform thermal gradients. Specifically, multi-beam configurations (e.g., ring-shaped and offset beam profiles) and dynamic power balancing between beams will be explored to suppress keyhole oscillations, stabilize the melt pool geometry, and minimize spatter. These strategies will be assessed through combined experimental and modeling insights to identify operating regimes that enhance process stability and part quality. This work supports the broader development of adaptive beam-shaping approaches for more stable, controllable, and defect-resistant LPBF processing. |