Product Code: ICAL07_1707

Deposition Efficiencies of Laser Cladding with Various Sources
Authors:
J.F. Tressler, ARL, The Penn State University; University Park PA USA
Richard Martukanitz, ARL, The Penn State University; State College PA USA
J.H. McDermott, ARL, The Penn State University; University Park PA USA
Presented at ICALEO 2007

This presentation will encompass the results of evaluations on laser cladding experiments measuring deposition rates and energy efficiency for various laser systems. With The ability to efficiency deposit material, regardless of the process, is of extreme importance for many cladding applications. To quantify the efficiency of laser cladding, CO2, Nd:YAG (flash and diode pumped), direct diode, and ytterbium-fiber lasers were evaluated. Conditions were established, using a variety of beam techniques, to provide relatively optimal parameters for maximizing deposition with these systems, which included scanned and deposition rates were measured based on these conditions. Utilized the anticipated wall-plug efficiencies for the various lasers, a deposition efficiency was also determined. The results indicate that high deposition rates were achieved with scanned beams and lower wavelength lasers. Deposition efficiency was dominated by the direct diode lasers, owing to the lower wavelength, inherent diffuse beam, and high electrical efficiency.