A Comparative Study Of Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of 300M Steel Produced By Coaxial Laser Directed Energy Deposition Using Powder And Wire

Abstract

The aerospace industry is increasingly seeking manufacturing routes that reduce CO2 emissions and reduce the recurring cost for critical landing gear components. Additive manufacturing offers benefits through more efficient use of material, improved lead times, design freedom, and potential lightweighting. As an initial step towards manufacturing process selection, this study investigates the feasibility of applying coaxial laser directed energy deposition to 300M steel, a commonly used landing gear material. While powder feedstock is typically used, wire-fed deposition is gaining interest because of its lower feedstock cost. However, limited data exists on the mechanical performance of wire-fed 300M steel depositions. To address this gap, 300M steel was deposited using both powder and wire feedstocks, and the resulting porosity, microstructure, microhardness, and tensile properties were systematically compared.