High-speed laser cladding for innovative applications

Laser cladding is known since about 40 years but not until recent the process has reached a more general industrial acceptance. Other coating processes like PTA, thermal spray, GMAW etc., are well known and have a lower investment cost than lasers. The benefits of laser cladding show lower heat input, lower dilution, less material consumption and overall better performance. With the last decades development of high power laser sources from 10 µm wavelength CO₂ lasers to high power solid-state lasers with wavelengths around 1 µm, improved process efficiency, lower costs and smaller footprints are achieved. As a result, laser cladding has rapidly become more interesting for a wide variety of applications.

The most novel development in surface coating is high-speed laser cladding with surface speeds up to 400 m/min, depending on properties of the powder and substrate. The high process speed, low heat input and minimal dilution with the substrate opens up for new applications and material combinations previously not possible with conventional laser cladding.

This paper will show some of the successful applications and material combinations the authors have achieved with high-speed laser cladding.