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LASER CLADDING/ALLOYING

Laser surface cladding is a process of deposition of cladding material (alloying species) over a substrate to form a sound interfacial bond without diluting the clad with substrate. Laser surface alloying is a process similar to surface melting except that another material (alloying species) is injected into the melt pool. Typically an inexpensive base material is alloyed/cladded with an expensive alloying material, resulting in desired improvements in tribological properties of the alloyed region. Laser cladding has also progressed into direct laser casting (Direct Metal Deposition) for low volume 3D components.

Key Features & Advantages

• Moderate to rapid solidification  rates resulting in fine homogenous structures
• Desired coating depth with dilution
• Minimal distortion with low HAZ
• Controlled thermal profiles and shape
• Good surface finish
• Selective alloying/cladding
• Minimal wastage of costly alloying material
• Precise control of alloy geometry
• Extremely versatile
• Excellent metallurgical bonding
• Reduced porosity
• Excellent coating homogeneity
• High deposition efficiency
• Faster processing rates

Typical Applications

• Gas turbine blades
• Pump sleeves
• Engine valves
• Rotor shafts
• Ground rolls
• Temper mills
• Automobile pitons
• Ball and gate valves
• Friction discs
• Crane shafts
• Brake drums
• Casting molds
• Excavator blades

Ongoing Application Development Projects

• Valve seat cladding with stellite 6
• Boiler burner tip baffle plates for erosion resistance
• Erosion resistant coating on turbine blades