UltraGRAIN

UltraGRAIN enables local grain engineering in metal additive manufacturing (AM).Using pulsed laser melt pool excitation (PLE), we control solidification during laser-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED-LB), directly in the melt pool. Instead of accepting columnar grain growth, grain size and texture can now be tailored zone-by-zone, where component performance requires it. 

The Technology: Pulsed Laser Melt Pool Excitation (PLE)

PLE uses a nanosecond pulsed laser directed into or slightly above the melt pool. Each pulse generates: 

Plasma formation

Shock waves inside the liquid metal

Increased heterogeneous nucleation

Disruption of columnar grain growth

Key Advantages:

Fully contactless 

Retrofit solution for existing DED-LB systems

Geometry-independent energy input

Alloy- and part-specific parameter flexibility

Compatible with digital CAD/CAE/AM workflows

Industrial benefits

Pulsed laser melt pool excitation refines grain structure locally during metal additive manufacturing. Shock waves in the melt pool create finer, more equiaxed grains, reducing anisotropy and improving fatigue resistance and toughness. The contactless solution integrates into existing DED systems, enabling reliable, production-ready components.

Click here to visit the website of the project.

Contact:

M.Sc. Francesco Bruzzo

Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS

Mail: francesco.bruzzo@iws.fraunhofer.de