Laser Cladding, also known as laser cladding or laser cladding, is a new surface modification technology. It forms a metallurgical bonding additive cladding layer on the surface of the base layer by adding a cladding material on the surface of the substrate and using a high-energy density laser beam to fuse it with the thin layer of the substrate surface.

Laser cladding features: the cladding layer has low dilution but strong bonding force, and is metallurgically bonded to the substrate, which can significantly improve the wear resistance, corrosion resistance, heat resistance, oxidation resistance or electrical properties of the surface of the substrate material, so as to achieve surface modification or The purpose of repair is to meet the specific performance requirements of the material surface while saving a lot of material costs. Compared with surfacing, spraying, electroplating and vapor deposition, laser cladding has the characteristics of low dilution, dense structure, good combination of coating and substrate, many materials suitable for cladding, and large changes in particle size and content. Therefore, laser cladding technology The application prospect is very broad.

Main applications: 1. Surface modification of materials, such as gas turbine blades, rollers, gears, etc.; 2. Surface repair of products, such as rotors, molds, etc. Relevant information shows that the strength of the repaired components can reach more than 90% of the original strength, and the repair cost is less than 1/5 of the replacement price. More importantly, it shortens the repair time and solves the continuous and reliable operation of major equipment in large enterprises. The problem of fast repair of rotating parts that must be solved. In addition, laser cladding super wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant alloys on the surface of key components can greatly increase the service life of the parts without deforming the surface of the parts; laser cladding on the surface of the mold not only improves the strength of the mold, but also It can reduce the manufacturing cost by 2/3 and shorten the manufacturing cycle by 4/5. Third, laser additive manufacturing. By means of synchronous powder feeding or wire feeding, laser cladding is carried out layer by layer, and then parts with three-dimensional structure are obtained. This technology can also be called laser melting deposition, laser metal deposition, laser direct melting deposition and so on.

Cladding materials: The widely used laser cladding materials mainly include nickel-based, cobalt-based, iron-based, titanium alloy, copper alloy, particulate metal-based composite materials, ceramic materials, etc.

Schematic diagram of laser cladding (picture source https://www.laserline.com/en-int/laser-cladding/)

Laser cladding technology-video source youtube