Laser surface cladding of metal parts

Abstract

Laser surface cladding is a significant process used for improving and altering the surface properties of materials. Examples of these alterations are cladding of bulk materials with stronger and more expensive materials for enhancing the surface wear resistance, hardness, corrosion resistance, or creating magnetic property on non-magnetic material. In this paper, metal samples were laser processed by using the pre-deposited paste-powder method of laser surface cladding. Aluminium of Al6061 alloy and EN3B mild steel were chosen as the substrates, coated with the materials Inconel 718, Nitinol and 316 L stainless steel. A comparison of each of the sample's mechanical properties through specific wear rate and microhardness was conducted. It was found that all samples had improved microhardness compared to that of their substrates. Furthermore, all aluminum base samples had significantly improved wear rates by at least 72%. Microhardness increase of 3.2 and 1.5 times on the Al and steel samples cladded with Inconel and Nitinol respectively. The cross-section of all the processed samples' microstructure was examined under a scanning electron microscope. Results showed the interface of the clad layer, substrate, and a clear heat-affected zone of the mild steel samples.

Keywords

• Laser surface cladding
• Al6061
• EN3B mild steel
• Nitinol
• Inconel 718
• SS316L