ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2025 40 iTSSe TSS iTSSe TSS Metal component refurbishment is essential across industries like aerospace, automotive, oil, gas, mining, and manufacturing, where maintaining part integrity is critical for safety, performance, and cost-efficiency. Refurbishing components, such as turbine blades or heavy machinery parts, offers significant advantages over replacement, including lower costs, reduced material waste, and shorter lead times, which help maintain operational continuity. Damage to components often results from corrosion, wear, or cracking. Refurbishment typically involves rebuilding 3D structures or adding material thickness through techniques like welding, laser processing, or thermal spray methods. Among these, cold spray technology stands out for its effectiveness and versatility. Cold spray is a solid-state deposition process in which metal powders are accelerated to supersonic speeds and bonded to surfaces through kinetic energy without melting. This method minimizes thermal stress, distortion, and oxidation, preserving the original properties of the base material. As a result, it is particularly suited for high-value, heat-sensitive components in sectors such as aerospace, defense, and energy. The technology enables precise restoration of surfaces and dimensional tolerances, extending the service life of critical parts. Its ability to deposit a wide range of metals and alloys with minimal thermal impact makes cold spray a transformative solution in modern maintenance and repair operations. It not only enhances performance and reliability but also supports sustainability by reducing waste and the need for new materials. THE ROLE OF AUTOMATION Restoring metal components to their original structural, functional, or geometric integrity is a complex challenge, especially because each damaged part is unique due to non-uniform wear or corrosion. Traditional refurbishment methods, often performed manually using handheld tools, are labor-intensive and prone to inconsistencies, leading to variable quality, longer turnaround times, and increased risk of human error. These limitations can compromise the reliability and repeatability of repairs. Automation offers a transformative solution by inte- grating advanced technologies, such as cold spray, into AUTOMATING METAL COMPONENT REFURBISHMENT WITH DIGITAL TOOLS Digital tools provide powerful new methods for boosting quality, productivity, and safety in the automation of repairs for metal parts. Alejandro Vargas-Uscategui,* Hans Lohr, and Peter King, CSIRO Manufacturing, Clayton, Australia refurbishment workflows. Automated systems can deliver consistent quality, faster processing, and improved efficiency while reducing dependency on skilled manual labor. Automation significantly enhances workplace safety by minimizing human exposure to hazardous environments. As industries seek more sustainable and scalable repair solutions, automation addresses current challenges and paves the way for future innovations in component refurbishment. CHALLENGES AND CONSIDERATIONS Automating metal component repair is a complex challenge that requires integrating advanced tools and multidisciplinary expertise. While robotics have long been used in processes such as thermal spray and cold spray, they typically rely on manual programming, which is time-consuming and inefficient, especially for unique, one-off repairs. This reliance on manual coding limits the speed and flexibility of automation in refurbishment workflows. Figure 1 illustrates the intersection of physical and virtual components involved in robotic additive manufacturing repair, highlighting the primary challenges. A key enabler of automation is the use of advanced sensing technologies that allow robots to “see” and interpret the geometry and condition of damaged parts. These systems must detect defects, assess their severity, and determine the appropriate repair strategy. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are being increasingly applied to enhance the speed and accuracy of these assessments. However, human oversight remains essential for accountability and informed decision-making. Equally important is the digital infrastructure that connects software with hardware. Software tools serve as the “brains” of automated systems, enabling precise control over repair parameters and ensuring consistent, high-quality outcomes. These tools reduce dependence on operator skills, streamline processes such as cold spray, and enhance productivity. By addressing labor shortages and skill gaps, digital automation enhances safety, reduces costs, and supports environmental sustainability. It also enables faster turnaround times, making refurbishment more viable and scalable. Overall, while automation in metal repair presents *Member of ASM International FEATURE 6
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