Poor powder catchment efficiency, is a limiting factor in the adoption of Directed Energy Deposition for the processing of expensive materials, complex shapes and for the sake of energy efficiency. Powder catchment efficiency increased to a value of 56% on a flat plane, compared to 26% under the same conditions without magnetic assistance. The mild steel substrate, being ferromagnetic, permitted greater magnetic manipulation of powder and higher powder catchment, compared to the austenitic stainless steel, which is essentially non-magnetic.
