Numerical finite element investigation on laser cladding treatment of ring geometries

A laser cladding treatment using powder blown (single track) on a ring part was analyzed adopting a numerical approach, in particular the analyses of both the temperature and the stress distributions in the laser cladding process were performed through a 3D thermo-mechanical finite element (FE) model (ABAQUS/Standard). The thermal FE model was calibrated using the measured clad profile and melt pool size in the substrate; experiments were performed with a 6 kW CO2 laser beam using an Al–Si alloy as substrate and a Cu-based alloy as cladding material. The aim of the thermal analysis was determining thermal cycles, variations of the dilution and of the melt pool shape during the process. The mechanical FE model allowed evaluating stress and strain distributions at the end of the treatment. All of these variables were analyzed at the clad–substrate interface as a function of processing parameters (like laser beam power, clad thickness, processing speed), boundary conditions and geometry of the treated zone.