Summary: Directed energy deposition (DED), also called laser metal deposition (LMD) or laser engineered net shaping (LENS), is a 3D metal printing process that creates a metallurgically bonded, fully dense part that typically requires little to no post-processing. It is one of the fastest metal AM processes available today. DED has emerged as a dominant metal AM process used in a wide range of industries for applications such as new builds, existing part modification, repair, remanufacturing of worn parts, and…