An analytical model of bead morphology on the inclined substrate in coaxial laser cladding

Abstract Laser cladding has been extensively used to repair and remanufacture large and expensive parts as an emerging surface treatment technology. In order to avoid interference between the laser head and the complex surface of the part during repair, however, the surface to be repaired is often placed obliquely. Since the morphology of the cladding bead will affect the overall surface quality after cladding, an analytical model has been developed to estimate the clad geometry (width and height) on the inclined substrate depending on the process parameters and material properties in this paper. The predicted results are basically consistent with the experimental results, which shows the accuracy of the model. In addition, the influence of process parameters and the tilt angle of the substrate on the width and height of the cladding bead on the inclined substrate has also been studied. The results show that the width is mainly affected by the laser power, and the height is mainly affected by the scanning speed and powder feeding rate. The tilt angle affects both, so it is also the main factor affecting the ratio of width to height. This findings can provide reference for the substrate placement and the selection of process parameters during surface repair of complex parts.