Product Code: JLA_14_3_191

Authors:
Toru Nagai
Takashi Inoue
Applied Laser Engineering Research Institute, 2085-16 Uenoyama, Fukasawa, Nagaoka 940-2135, Japan

Hirofumi Shimura
Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, 1-2 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-8564, Japan

In this article, we report on a new process for manufacturing metal coatings with submillimeter thickness by pulsed laser driven deposition of molten metal particles. The process of “laser spattering of molten particles” using a high pulse-energy laser is considered to be effective compared to the conventional physical vapor process based on vaporized ultrafine particle generation in vacuum, because the energy required for melting the material is much lower than that for vaporizing it. In this process, the substrate is irradiated with another laser to obtain a close coating and various hard layers in it. We studied the productivity of spattered molten particles of metals (Fe, Ni, Cr, Cu, Mo, and W), and the morphology of the coatings. We applied this process to the manufacturing of wear-resistant coatings such as cast iron–molybdenum compound coatings. They showed good wear characteristics. © 2002 Laser Institute of America.