Scan strategy, not just laser power, decides metal AM part quality.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) productivity is dominated by scan strategy as much as by laser power. Traditional vector-based hatching limits how the designer influences the melt pool \u2014 which is exactly where part quality is determined, in thermal gradients of 5-20 K\/\u00b5m. Closed-loop melt-pool control is effectively impossible (sensor data is always historical), so scan-pattern design is the practical lever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This peer-reviewed conference paper (Lasers in Manufacturing 2019) from four Novanta authors introduces three wobble-scanning modes \u2014 two based on pure circular geometry, and a third Lissajous-equation-based mode (X\/Y galvo position controlled via amplitude, frequency 0.1-10 kHz, and phase) \u2014 that enable scan patterns impossible to define with vector hatching.<\/p>\n\n\n\nKey takeaways include:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n