The entire process can take up to six months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. And because LENS can deposit different metals, the coating is laid down as the object is fabricated. Also, DuPont notes, dies used in the fabrication of plastic objects come with drilled channels through which water passes to cool the mold during the manufacturing process. But the machining process allows only for straight channels. Yet curved channels of many shapes and sizes are desired because they provide more surface area in which to dissipate heat.
LENS allows intricately curved channels to be fabricated while an object is being made.
But this still encompasses a vast number of products. Restoration of a jet engine is another application. The tips of the blades wear as they rub against a shroud and eventually must be repaired. Currently, tips are restored by conventional welding and then machined back into shape. With LENS, the restoration would be completed in one process and the amount of machining would be greatly reduced.