A research team at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics has published a paper in the journal Materialia proposing a new cracking criterion for laser directed energy deposition (LDED) of nickel-based superalloys, solving the numerical divergence problem encountered in calculations with traditional cracking models. The study focuses on predicting cracking behavior in LDED-formed nickel-based superalloys. The new criterion replaces the computational path of traditional models that fail under certain conditions, thereby avoiding numerical divergence and improving the stability of cracking assessment, offering a new method for cracking prediction in additively manufactured superalloys. Advances in cracking criteria directly support optimization of superalloy additive manufacturing process windows: powder suppliers and process teams can use this to screen out cracking-prone combinations earlier during powder batch evaluation and printing parameter calibration, reducing the cost of trial-and-error powder usage.