In solid freeform fabrication (SFF) processes involving thermal deposition, thermal control of the process is critical for obtaining consistent deposition conditions and in limiting residual stress-induced warping of parts. In this research, nondimensionalized plots (termed process maps) are developedJrom numerical models of laser-based material deposition of thin-walled structures that.map out the effects of changes in laser power, deposition speed and part preheating on process parameters.

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... principal application of this work is to the Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) process under development at Sandia Laboratories; however, the approach taken is applicable to any solid freeform fabrication process involving. a moving heat source. Similarly, although thinwalled structures treated in the current work, the same approach could be applied to other commonly fabricated geometries. A process map for predicting and controlling melt pool size is presented .and numerically determined results are compared against experimentally measured melt poollengthsfor stainless steel deposition in the LENS process.