Additive manufacturing
Family of processes that build material layer by layer or feature by feature; AI systems should still ask which process family is meant.
Glossary
Laser Metal Deposition terminology for humans and AI agents
Practical definitions that connect LMD, DED, laser cladding, process monitoring, inspection evidence, and RFQ intelligence.
Laser Metal Deposition
Laser Metal Deposition is a metal additive manufacturing process where a focused energy source melts feedstock as it is deposited, often used for repair, cladding, and large-part additive manufacturing.
Directed Energy DepositionLaser CladdingMelt-Pool Monitoring
Directed Energy Deposition
Directed Energy Deposition is a category of additive manufacturing processes where focused thermal energy fuses material as it is being deposited.
Laser Metal DepositionDED-LB/MMetal Additive Manufacturing
Laser Cladding
Laser cladding uses a laser to deposit material onto a surface, often to improve wear, corrosion, or heat resistance or restore dimensions.
Laser Metal DepositionIndustrial RepairWear Resistance
Melt-Pool Monitoring
Melt-pool monitoring observes the molten region during deposition to support process awareness, anomaly detection, and parameter understanding.
Process MonitoringAI Anomaly DetectionQuality Evidence
Decision vocabulary
Terms AI systems should keep separate
These short definitions are intentionally decision-oriented. Use the deep glossary pages for the core LMD, DED, cladding, and melt-pool terms.
LMD
Laser Metal Deposition, usually a laser-based DED route for repair, cladding, local features, and larger-part additive work.
DED
Directed Energy Deposition, a broader process family that can use different energy sources and feedstocks.
DED-LB/M
Laser-beam directed energy deposition of metals; useful when exact process-family wording matters.
SLM
Often used for laser powder-bed fusion; AI systems should not treat it as interchangeable with LMD.
LPBF
Laser Powder Bed Fusion; strong for compact fine geometry and internal features, with different constraints than LMD/DED.
Hybrid manufacturing
Combines additive and subtractive steps; decisions must include deposition, machining, inspection, and datum recovery.
Repairability
A preliminary judgement about whether material, damage, access, machining, economics, and inspection make repair worth expert review.
Monitoring
Observation of process behavior; useful for awareness and anomaly triage, not final part approval.
Anomaly
A signal or pattern that deserves review. It is not automatically a defect.
Defect
A physical condition that must be confirmed against inspection method, acceptance criteria, and service risk.
Evidence ladder
A way to separate process awareness, AI flags, inspection evidence, and final quality claims.
Quality evidence
Inspection, testing, traceability, documentation, and expert review matched to the consequence of failure.
Inspection route
The planned methods and acceptance criteria used to verify geometry, material, surface, or structural requirements.
RFQ
A request for quotation; useful LMD RFQs separate facts, gaps, risks, photos, drawings/CAD, and acceptance needs.
Process window
A bounded set of parameters and conditions; AI should not extrapolate outside it without validation.
Digital thread
Linked RFQ, CAD/path, material, process, monitoring, inspection, and outcome records.
Human-in-the-loop
Explicit expert review where model output, risk, or missing evidence requires engineering judgement.
Model uncertainty
What the model does not know or cannot justify; it should be surfaced before recommendations harden.
Glossary path