Laser additive manufacture of three-dimensional components containing multiple materials formed as integrated systems

A method, comprising:

• (i) directing laser energy from at least two laser beams towards a plurality of powder layers, such that a first powder layer is heated by a first laser energy and a second powder layer is heated by a second laser energy;
• (ii) independently controlling shape and intensity of the first laser energy and the second laser energy, such that a width of the first laser energy is less than or equal to a width of the first powder layer, a width of the second laser energy is less than or equal to a width of the second powder layer, and an intensity of the first laser energy is different than an intensity of the second powder layer;
• and
• (iii) independently controlling trajectories of the first laser energy and the second laser energy, such that the first laser energy is directed to follow a first scan path parallel to a perimeter of the first powder layer, and the second laser energy is directed to follow a second scan path parallel to a perimeter of the second powder layer, to form a section plane of a multi-material component in which shapes and contents of the section plane are defined at least in part by respective shapes and contents of the plurality of powder layers;
• wherein the first powder layer comprises a metal powder which melts and cools to form a structural metal layer;
• the second powder layer comprises a ceramic powder which partially melts and cools to form a thermal barrier coating bonded to an adjacent metal layer;
• and
• heat delivered directly or indirectly from the first laser energy causes a flux composition to form a slag layer covering the structural metal layer;
• and
• wherein the plurality of powder layers comprises three adjacent powder layers;
• a third powder layer situated between the first powder layer and the second powder layer comprises a metallic bond coat powder;
• and
• heat delivered indirectly from the first laser energy causes the metallic bond coat powder to form a bond coat layer situated between, and bonded to both, the structural metal layer and the thermal barrier coating, or
• heat delivered from a third laser energy of a third intensity causes the metallic bond coat powder to form the bond coat layer situated between, and bonded to both, the structural metal layer and the thermal barrier coating.

A method, comprising:

• (a) directing laser energy from a laser source towards a plurality of powder layers, such that a first powder layer is heated by a first laser intensity and a second powder layer is heated by a second laser intensity, wherein the laser source is adapted to modulate laser intensity over a two-dimensional space to produce a multi-intensity laser beam in which the first laser intensity and the second laser intensity occur at different spatial locations within the multi-intensity laser beam;
• (b) controlling shape and intensity of the multi-intensity laser, such that a width of a first laser energy heating the first powder layer at the first laser intensity is less than or equal to a width of the first powder layer, and a width of a second laser energy heating the second powder layer at the second laser intensity is less than or equal to a width of the second powder layer;
• (c) controlling the laser source, such that the first laser energy follows a first scan path parallel to a perimeter of the first powder layer, and the second laser energy follows a second scan path parallel to a perimeter of the second powder layer;
• and
• (d) partially blocking the multi-intensity laser beam with a laser absorbing mask, to form a section plane of a multi-material component in which a shape of the section plane is defined by both a shape of the plurality of powder layers and a shape of the laser absorbing mask, and contents of the section plane are defined by respective contents of the plurality of powder layers;
• wherein the first powder layer comprises a metal powder which melts and cools to form a structural metal layer;
• the second powder layer comprises a ceramic powder which partially melts and cools to form a thermal barrier coating bonded to an adjacent metal layer;
• and
• heat delivered directly or indirectly from the first laser energy causes a flux composition to form a slag layer covering at least the structural metal layer;
• and
• wherein the plurality of powder layers comprises three adjacent powder layers;
• a third powder layer situated between the first powder layer and the second powder layer comprises a metallic bond coat powder;
• the shape and intensity of the multi-intensity laser is further controlled such that a width of a third laser energy heating the third powder layer at a third laser intensity is less than or equal to a width of the third powder layer;
• and
• heat delivered to the third powder layer causes the metallic bond coat powder to form a bond coat layer situated between, and bonded to both, the structural metal layer and the thermal barrier coating.