In this paper a novel approach towards automation of robotized laser metal-wire deposition (RLMwD) is described. The RLMwD technique is being developed at University West in cooperation with Swedish industry for solid freeform fabrication of fully dense metal structures. The process utilizes robotized fibre laser welding and metal wire filler material, together with a layered manufacturing method, to create metal structures directly from a CAD drawing. The RLMwD process can also be used for repair or modification of existing components. This paper faces the challenge of designing a control system for maintaining stable process variables, such as a constant layer height and a stable component temperature, during the entire manufacturing process. Several problems are identified and discussed in the paper, e.g. the difficulty of obtaining the bead height in the weld pool environment. The case study is a repair application for stamping tools, where worn out trim edges are to be repaired. Issues regarding the control design, system identification, and the practical implementation of this application are discussed.

Robotized laser metal-wire deposition is a fairly new technique being developed at University West in cooperation with Swedish industry for solid freeform fabrication of fully densed metal structures. It is developed around a standard welding cell and uses robotized fiber laser welding and wire filler material together with a layered manufacturing method to create metal structures. In this work a monitoring system, comprising two cameras and a projected laser line, is developed for on-line control of the deposition process. The controller is a combination of a PI-controller for the bead width and a feed-forward compensator for the bead height. It is evaluated through deposition of single-bead walls, and the results show that the process stability is improved when the proposed controller is used.