| Abstract Scope |
While Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is widely adopted for complex metal geometries, industrial growth is hindered by low build rates and thermal instability. Most multi-laser systems merely assign separate lasers to different regions to increase productivity. In contrast, this study utilizes coordinated multi-laser processing on a single part to enable advanced thermal management, such as pre-heating and dynamic gradient control. This work demonstrates a dual-laser LPBF framework built on the Simple Additive Manufacturing (SAM) architecture and implemented on the NIST Additive Manufacturing Metrology Testbed (AMMT). The system achieves precise spatial and temporal synchronization through integrated calibration and real-time control. Experimental results demonstrate synchronized, lead–follow, and parallel operational modes. These capabilities provide critical opportunities to mitigate defects, reduce residual stress, and improve process stability for high-power, multi-laser LPBF applications. |