| Abstract Scope |
Wire-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is highly effective for manufacturing large-scale metal components due to its exceptional deposition rates. However, overall production efficiency is severely bottlenecked by prolonged inter-layer cooling periods. For instance, while depositing a single layer of Inconel 625 may take only 3 to 10 minutes, the subsequent cooling phase can exceed 30 minutes to prevent detrimental heat accumulation. To address this critical inefficiency, this study presents a novel active cooling device designed to extract heat directly from the uppermost deposited layer in a controlled manner. Utilizing an advanced chilling mechanism equipped with a conformal, flexible interface, the device seamlessly adapts to the inherent surface roughness of DED builds, effectively mimicking rapid substrate cooling. Experimental validation demonstrates a 30% reduction in overall production time. For large-scale bulk components, this thermal management approach translates to weeks of saved manufacturing time. |