Lab note · 2026-05-09
DED-LB/M Terms That Should Not Be Mixed Up
Clear terminology helps keep Laser Metal Deposition, Directed Energy Deposition, laser cladding, SLM, LPBF, monitoring, and certification claims separate.
Directed Energy Deposition is a broader additive manufacturing category. Laser Metal Deposition can be understood as a laser-based metal DED route, often connected to the DED-LB/M term.
Laser cladding is often surface- or restoration-focused. SLM/LPBF is a powder-bed process with different geometry, support, tolerance, and post-processing implications.
Melt-pool monitoring is a process-awareness method, not a certificate. Certification or release decisions require inspection and validation evidence appropriate to the part risk.