10030019Omnidirectional Supersonic Laser DepositionClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKCold Spray (CS) is a coating and additive manufacturing process where solid powder particles are accelerated through a nozzle in a supersonic gas stream to velocities of up to 1000 m/s before impacting a substrate where they bond to form a coating. CS is seeing growing market uptake due to its advantages of solid-state deposition and low heat input into the surfaces being coated or parts being built. Current limitations on the use of cold spray include the mechanical properties of the coatings produced and range of materials which can be deposited without resorting to the use of helium gas which will make the process uneconomical. Supersonic Laser Deposition, SLD, is an enhancement of cold spray where the deposition site is warmed using a laser, softening the substrate, improving bonding and widening the range of materials which can be deposited.to include hardfacing alloys and refractory metals. While the process has received significant interest from multinational companies operating in a variety of sectors including aerospace, power generation and consumer electronics, the fixed relative positions of laser and powder stream in current SLD systems limits the ability of SLD to deposit over complex shapes while the lack of feedback control on laser position means the process is not robust. The key objectives of the project are to address these issues by implementing the following: * A beam deflection system to place the laser spot anywhere in 360° around the powder footprint and enable multidirectional deposition. * A height sensing system which will monitor nozzle stand-off, and therefore laser position, in real time. * A control system which will use standoff data to automatically adjust beam deflection and maintain the relative positions of the powder footprint and laser while coating complex surfaces.