Automated laser cladding and welding equipment is a type of industrial equipment that utilizes a high-energy laser beam to melt and clad a cladding material, such as an alloy powder or wire, onto the surface of a metal substrate. This technology enhances the surface properties of the workpiece, such as wear, corrosion and high-temperature resistance, while reducing costs and extending component life. The automated system ensures high precision and efficient operation and is suitable for mass production and repair of complex parts.
I. Working Principle
1. Laser beam focusing: High-energy laser beam is focused on the surface of the workpiece through the optical system.
2. Material melting: The fused material (powder or wire) is fed into the laser melting pool through the powder feeder or wire feeder system.
3. Pool formation: The laser melts the surface of the substrate to form a molten pool in which the cladding material is fused to the substrate.
4. Rapid cooling: the fusion layer is rapidly cooled and solidified, forming a fusion layer metallurgically bonded with the base material.
II.Composition of equipment
1. Laser system
- Laser type: fiber laser, CO₂ laser, semiconductor laser.
- Power range: usually between 500W and 10kW, depending on process requirements.
2. Powder/wire feeding system
- Powder feeder: Precise control of the supply of cladding material to ensure uniformity of the cladding layer.
- Wire feeder: Suitable for thicker cladding layers.
3. CNC motion system
- 3-axis/5-axis CNC platform: control the movement of laser head or workpiece to realize complex shape cladding.
- Robot system: suitable for multi-angle processing of complex workpieces.
4. Cooling systems
- Laser cooling: Usually adopts water cooling system to keep the laser working stably.
- Workpiece cooling: to prevent deformation or performance degradation due to overheating.
5. Automatic control system
- Software system: CAD/CAM programming to support automated production.
- Monitoring system: real-time monitoring of temperature, laser power and molten pool status during the melting process.
III. Process features and advantages
1. High precision and efficiency
- Laser beam control is precise, and the thickness of the cladding layer can be controlled within the range of 0.1-5mm.
- The automated control system ensures processing consistency and efficiency.
2. Strong material compatibility
- Support a variety of cladding materials: iron-based, nickel-based, cobalt-based alloys and composite materials.
- It can realize composite cladding between different materials and improve performance.
3. Small heat-affected zone
- Laser cladding with localized heating, small deformation of the substrate, suitable for precision parts processing.
4. Metallurgical bonding
- Metallurgical bonding between the cladding layer and the base material, high bonding strength, avoiding delamination or peeling problems.
5. Repair and Strengthening
- Suitable for repairing worn or damaged high-value parts, such as molds, bearings, engine parts and so on.
IV.Application areas
• Mold manufacturing and repair
• Aerospace
• Automobile industry
• Petrochemical industry
• Heavy machinery
V. Key Points for Equipment Selection
1. Laser power requirements
- Thin-layer cladding: 500W-2kW
- Thick Layer Welding: 3kW-10kW
2. Processing precision
- When high precision is required, choose the equipment equipped with closed-loop control system.
3. Melting material type
- According to the material of the workpiece and the use of the environment, choose the appropriate powder feeding or wire feeding system.
4. working space and flexibility
- Ensure that the range of motion of the equipment table or robotic arm to meet the production requirements.
VI.the future development trend
1. Intelligent control
- Integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize the parameters of the coating process and improve processing quality.
2. Composite cladding technology
- Development of multi-layer composite material cladding to meet the requirements of higher performance.
3. Environmental protection and energy saving
- Develop more efficient and low energy consumption laser cladding system to reduce resource consumption.
Automatic laser cladding and welding equipment is an important technical tool in modern manufacturing industry, which is widely used in various high-end manufacturing and repairing fields by virtue of its high precision, automation and material compatibility.
Post time: Dec-02-2024