Frontiers in Laser Additive Manufacturing Technology

Laser additive manufacturing (LAM) technology can overcome the limitations of conventional manufacturing and facilitate the integrated design and production of geometrically complex metal parts, making it widely applicable in industrial sectors such as biomedical, aerospace, and molding. This review provides an overview of the frontiers of LAM techniques, focusing on the progress made by our research group over the past two decades. It begins with the introduction of four critical types of advanced LAM techniques: large-scale, multimaterial, field-assisted, and LAM/subtractive hybrid manufacturing. Subsequently, coaxial and off-axial in situ monitoring techniques based on sensor installation are presented, along with an exploration of their integration with high-speed cameras, photodiodes, and other photoelectric sensors within the LAM equipment. Representative innovative designs incorporating small-angle and support-free structures, nonassembled structures, and porous structures are then introduced. Finally, a comprehensive summary is provided, along with a discussion of the development trends of LAM from both manufacturing and design perspectives.