Advances in Cold Spray for Repair and Additive Manufacturing: A Review

Cold spray (CS) technology has established itself as a versatile solid-state deposition process with significant potential for both repair applications and the manufacturing of bulk parts. This review examines recent advances in CS, emphasizing its unique ability to deposit metals and composites without melting, thereby minimizing oxidation, thermal distortion, and residual stresses. These advantages have positioned CS as a technique with all the credentials for being used within industry for restoring damaged components, especially, where high microstructural quality and mechanical integrity are critical. This review paper synthesizes current knowledge on different coatings/deposits produced by CS, the processing of present-day and future metals/alloys by cold spray, and specific requirements for industrial applications employing this technology. Additionally, it highlights the growing use of CS as an additive manufacturing (AM) technology, where layer-by-layer deposition enables the fabrication of complex geometries, gradient materials, and hybrid structures. Advances in cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) technology and deposition strategies are also discussed. Remaining challenges, including in situ monitoring, predictive modeling, and the need for standardized qualification protocols, are identified. Overall, this review underscores CS’s transformative role in enabling high-performance repairs and novel AM strategies, while outlining future research directions to expand its industrial adoption.