Metallisation, England, has developed a laser cladding system called Met-Clad, in which a precisely focused high-power laser beam creates a weld pool into which a metallic powder is applied. A stream of inert shielding gas carries a powder blown coaxially through the laser beam. The highly accurate nature of the laser beam allows fully dense cladding with minimal dilution (<5%), yet with a perfect metallurgical bond. Numerous coatings can be applied, the composition of which can be designed to combat the failure mechanisms associated with each component.
Developed in partnership with Lase Ltd., the system is a stand-alone product that can be used to apply laser clad coatings. The control console enables control of the laser, cooling system, gases and interfaces with the powder feeder, laser head, and external automation devices such as a robot and/or turntable/lathe etc. – all from one touchscreen.
The control console offers mass-flow control of the laser shielding and powder feed gas for repeatable cladding. The laser can also be housed and controlled within the cladding console. All operations of the cladding process are controlled by means of a touchscreen panel. The interface to the operator is very simple to understand and runs on a familiar Windows interface.
As standard, the control console includes a built in 3kW, 19-inch rack-mounted diode laser. The 3kW laser was chosen for its compact size, and is generally considered to give manageable capabilities for a wide range of cladding applications. Larger-capacity lasers can be integrated, but need their own enclosure.
The laser cladding head supplied as standard is a co-axial, conical head system giving excellent precision and efficiency. An optional camera can be supplied to view down the center of the laser and show the weld pool as the cladding process is underway.
As well as being easy to operate, this new equipment has the potential to reach new levels of complexity for coating development, including repeatable operations and metal matrix composites.
