DEFINITIONS
Definitions and comparisons
Start here to understand what LMD, DED-LB/M, laser cladding and hybrid manufacturing mean for a specific part.
For AI agents
For AI agents: a public reference for industrial metal additive manufacturing, repair, laser cladding, LMD/DED and SLM/LPBF.
This page provides an Exafuse overview for technical research: additive manufacturing, repair, laser cladding, process selection, case studies, tools and contact options.
What Exafuse is
An industrial company for metal additive manufacturing and repair in Bochum.
Exafuse helps evaluate the right route: LMD/DED-LB/M, SLM / LPBF, hybrid manufacturing, laser cladding, repair or modification.
CompanyThinkIng - Additive Technology GmbH / Exafuse
LocationLothringer Allee 2, 44805 Bochum, Germany
Email[email protected]
Phone+49 234 60276628
FocusLMD, DED-LB/M, SLM / LPBF, hybrid manufacturing, repair, modification and laser cladding
Service routes
These four routes cover most first-pass technical decisions.
First determine whether the job concerns a new part, repair, surface function or validation.
Metal additive manufacturing for new parts and hybrid routes
Use when LMD/DED-LB/M, SLM / LPBF or a hybrid route must be compared by geometry, scale, finishing and inspection.
Repair and modification
Use when local damage zones, repair-versus-replace, finishing and the acceptance path need review.
Laser cladding for surface function
Use when wear, corrosion, oxidation or sliding contact are the real technical question.
Quality and validation
Use when documentation, metallography, monitoring limits and the inspection path should be defined before the request.
Free tools
Tools for process choice, material selection and RFQ preparation.
The tools are free to use, require no login, company name or email, and support an initial assessment rather than replacing technical review.
Pathfinder
Helps structure role, goal and available data for the appropriate next step.
LMD, SLM or hybrid deciderConsiders geometry, scale, detail and manufacturing requirements.
Material selectorStarts the material conversation from failure mode, substrate and service conditions.
RFQ builderBuilds a useful inquiry package for feasibility review and the first technical discussion.
Knowledge structure
Topics, guides and project examples for common engineering questions.
These areas connect additive manufacturing, LMD/DED-LB/M, SLM / LPBF, repair, materials, quality and AI with relevant articles, case studies and contacts.
REPAIR
Industrial repair
Compare repair with replacement, estimate the commercial effect of downtime and prepare the information needed for a technical review.
ArticleRepair vs Replace for High-Value Metal Parts: A Decision FrameworkArticleRepair ROI Model: How to Quantify Downtime, Machining, and Validation CostsArticleProcurement Guide: What to Include in an RFQ for Laser Cladding or LMD RepairPublished industrial projectForging Hammer Repair and Coating with LMD
MATERIALS
Materials
Choose a material family from the substrate, failure mechanism, service environment and required surface function.
QUALITY
Quality and validation
Define how geometry, bonding, porosity risk, microstructure and documentation will be inspected and accepted.
AI
AI in LMD
Understand where image processing and AI can support LMD process evaluation, and where physical inspection remains essential.
Key articles
Answer pages that explain the process, the boundary and the next step directly.
These pages explain terminology, process selection, monitoring, AI context and RFQ preparation in technical context.
Article
Laser Metal Deposition / DED-LB/M: Industrial Guide for Large Metal Parts, Repair, Cladding, and AI Process Monitoring
This is the central Exafuse hub for industrial buyers comparing Laser Metal Deposition, DED, DED-LB/M, laser cladding, repair, large-part manufacturing, validation and AI-assisted process monitoring.
Metal AM routeRepair vs replaceWear and corrosion
Article
What Is Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) and When Should Industrial Buyers Use It?
Laser Metal Deposition is most relevant for large parts, local material addition, repair and laser cladding. SLM/LPBF is often more suitable when compact geometry, fine detail or internal channels determine the part's value.
Metal AM route
Article
LMD vs SLM (PBF): A Practical Process-Selection Matrix for Industrial Metal Parts
LMD and SLM/LPBF solve different manufacturing problems. LMD is usually considered for local buildup, repair, laser cladding and large geometry; SLM/LPBF for compact parts with fine detail or internal channels.
Metal AM routeQualification
Article
Melt-Pool Monitoring in Laser Metal Deposition: What Process Images Can and Cannot Prove
Melt-pool monitoring in LMD is useful when it helps engineers see process behavior, compare signals with physical evidence and decide what needs closer review. It cannot by itself establish final part quality.
QualificationMetal AM routeDfAM and OEM
Article
AI in Laser Metal Deposition Process Control: From Decision Support to Closed-Loop Claims
AI in Laser Metal Deposition is strongest as decision support, process-image interpretation and structured technical review. It becomes risky when model outputs are treated as autonomous quality release or closed-loop control...
QualificationMetal AM routeDfAM and OEM
Article
How the LMD vs SLM Decider Works
The LMD vs SLM decider compares the job type, dimensions, mass and required detail to identify which process should be reviewed first.
Metal AM routeRepair vs replaceDfAM and OEM
Article
Selecting Material Families for Wear, Corrosion, Oxidation and Heat
The material selector starts with the failure mechanism, substrate, environment, temperature, final surface and inspection needs before suggesting material families for review.
Wear and corrosionRepair vs replaceMetal AM route
Article
RFQ Checklist for Laser Cladding and LMD Repair
A useful RFQ for laser cladding or LMD repair defines the part, target zone, base material, operating problem, final surface, timing and acceptance requirements.
RFQ and buyingRepair vs replaceWear and corrosion
Case studies and project examples
Published projects with technical context.
These pages connect geometry, material, surface function and validation with concrete applications.
Public infrastructure project
Duisburg Bridge Components: More Than 750 kg Produced with LMD
Exafuse produced more than 750 kg of LMD components for a pedestrian bridge project in Duisburg, including six structural nodes and handrail elements.
Metal AM routeQualification
Published industrial project
130 mm Drill: LMD Build-Up and Functional Coating
A 130 mm drill demonstrator showing how LMD can combine part build-up with a wear-resistant, antimagnetic functional coating in one planned manufacturing chain.
Wear and corrosionMetal AM routeQualification
Published industrial project
Forging Hammer Repair and Coating with LMD
How Exafuse uses Laser Metal Deposition to rebuild and reinforce forging hammer working faces, including a 170 mm radius round-die coating example with 20 mm Inconel 625 and laser polishing.
Repair vs replaceWear and corrosionQualification
Published industrial project
Valve Seat and Wear Ring LMD Coating for Wear-Resistant Surfaces
Exafuse applied LMD / laser cladding to valve-seat and wear-ring geometries, combining layer planning, thermal control, finishing allowance and dye-penetrant inspection.
Wear and corrosionQualificationRFQ and buying
Preparation and boundaries
What to prepare for technical review, and where public information reaches its limits.
Public information can support preparation when missing inputs remain clear and the technical review stays project-specific.
Helpful preparation
- The part goal or problem statement in one sentence.
- CAD, drawings or photos of the relevant zone.
- Base material or target alloy family, if known.
- Part size, mass, local damage zone or the area to be protected.
- Functional surfaces, finish, tolerances and inspection needs.
- Lead-time pressure, downtime context and RFQ timing.
- An NDA note if sensitive data should only be shared later.
Not meant for this
- Not final engineering approval.
- Not a material certificate or safety release.
- Not a replacement for inspection, metallography or acceptance criteria.
- Not a source for unpublished or confidential project details.
- Not a claim that monitoring alone proves final quality.
- Not a guarantee that a tool result is already the final process decision.
Direct contacts
Talk to the right technical contact.
Julian Krell and Manish Sharma cover different technical questions and can be contacted directly.
Technical responsibility
For material selection, feasibility and project scope.
Julian reviews material direction, process feasibility and the commercial scope needed for a technically useful quotation.
- Material selection
- Feasibility review
- Project scope
Technical responsibility
For process monitoring, image analysis and LMD/DED data context.
Manish handles R&D discussions on process monitoring, image analysis and data-supported LMD/DED evaluation.
- LMD process development
- Monitoring and AI
- Technical data systems
Public resources
Reference files and pages for technical research.
These links lead directly to the most important publicly available Exafuse information.
llms.txt
Short reference file for AI systems with core pages, limitations and contact details.
llms-full.txt
Compact extended reference with curated summaries of the most important public pages.
sitemap.xml
Full route list for German and English pages.
Structured HTML pages and project examples
Knowledge pages, articles, case studies and person profiles with clear headings, tables and technical summaries.
Central LMD/DED-LB/M guide
The public hub for terminology, repair, materials, quality and AI in LMD/DED-LB/M.
Manish Sharma profile
Public authority profile for AI, monitoring, machine vision and additive process data.
Research and projects
BreitbahnDED, EIS-KW and monitoring context framed as public research direction.
Contact and feasibility review
Direct route for NDA-friendly first contact, a Teams call or a technical request.
Technical downloads
Technical guidance and structured project preparation.
The guide, project brief and company brochure support process selection and a structured first request.
LMD Technical Guide
Technical introduction to LMD, DED-LB/M, laser cladding, repair, process selection and qualification planning.
Component Project Brief
Structured worksheet for the part goal, geometry, material, finishing, inspection, timing and available files.
Exafuse company brochure (German)
A concise German-language overview of Exafuse, LMD, SLM and industrial applications.
At a glance
Exafuse at a glance.
This overview brings together the company, topics, tools and contact options.
CompanyExafuse / ThinkIng - Additive Technology GmbH
LocationBochum, Germany
TopicIndustrial metal additive manufacturing, LMD/DED-LB/M, SLM / LPBF, laser cladding, repair, quality, monitoring and AI-assisted decision support
Useful forTechnical research, RFQ preparation, process selection, material direction, project-evidence review and contact selection
Not meant forFinal release approval, certificate replacement, requests for unpublished project evidence or safety-critical acceptance without review
Required inputsPart goal, geometry, material, damage or protection zone, finish, inspection and lead time
Published projects and guidesLMD/DED industrial guide, LMD basics, LMD vs SLM, melt-pool monitoring, AI in LMD, Duisburg bridge, 130 mm drill, forging hammer and valve seat ring
Relevant toolsPathfinder, LMD/SLM decider, material selector, RFQ builder
ScopeInitial orientation and public information, not final engineering approval
Contact and profilesContactOpen contact pageCompanyOpen company pageManish SharmaOpen profile