Systems and methods for additive manufacturing and repair of metal components

A method for repairing components by melting and resolidifiying a material powder, the method comprising:

• scanning a concentrated energy source along a path in a layer of the material powder deposited on a part to form a melt pool, where the path is selected to scan the concentrated energy source across a desired shape, and wherein the melt pool includes material from the part;
• calculating a melt pool temperature using a sensor comprising a thermal imaging device or video microscope;
• and
• adjusting at least one of the power output, scan speed, or scan pattern of the concentrated energy source using a control scheme to maintain a melt pool of the material powder under the concentrated energy source, using the calculated melt pool temperature as an input to the control scheme.

A method for manufacturing components by melting and resolidifying powdered materials, the method comprising:

• generating a temperature profile by simulating a process of scanning a concentrated energy source across a part;
• scanning the concentrated energy source across the part;
• calculating a melt pool temperature using a sensor comprising a thermal imaging device or video microscope;
• and
• controlling a power of the concentrated energy source to maintain a constant melt pool with a feedback controller, where the controller determines the power of the concentrated energy source as a function of the temperature profile, the melt pool temperature, and an estimated temperature gradient.