Toward The Realtime Feedback Control for Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing

Published

September 25, 2025

Author(s)

Ho Yeung

Abstract

Metal Laser Powder Bed Fusion is a widely used additive manufacturing technique known for its ability to produce intricate geometries, optimized structures, and lightweight designs. However, its broader industrial adoption is hindered by persistent quality issues arising from inadequate process control. Conventional LPBF systems rely on predefined laser power settings for each scan vector, which do not account for dynamic thermal variations caused by scan sequence, part geometry, and localized heat accumulation. This limitation often leads to defects such as lack-of-fusion in underheated regions or keyhole porosity in overheated areas. This study explores the feasibility of real-time, in-line laser power control using in-situ monitoring of the melt pool area as feedback. The proposed method continuously adjusts laser power within approximately 118 microseconds of measurement acquisition, ensuring corrections are made before the beam moves beyond the current melt pool. Experiments conducted on nickel superalloy 625 plates under various process conditions validate the effectiveness of this technique. The results demonstrate that real-time feedback control significantly improves process stability, laying the foundation for future advancements in adaptive additive manufacturing and defect mitigation strategies.

Citation

Additive Manufacturing Letters

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

real-time feedback control, in-situ melt-pool monitoring, continuous laser power variation, in-line control

Citation

Yeung, H. (2025), Toward The Realtime Feedback Control for Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing Letters, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=959824 (Accessed January 14, 2026)