Cladding Process
Laser cladding is realized either as wire (laser hot wire cladding) or powder cladding. The laser beam creates a molten pool at the workpiece surface, to which is simultaneously added the laser coating material (wire or powder) molten by the laser. The exposure time is short, which creates only a short delay as the cooling is quick. The result is a layer that is connected with the basic material metallurgically. It is tougher than those coatings created by thermal spraying, and compared to hard chromium plating, for example, it is harmless to health, too.

Cladding technology advantages of diode lasers
The top-hat beam profile of a diode laser, part of the laser cladding equipment, creates a particularly even molten pool, which provides fine-grained, pore-free and crack-free coatings of the workpieces. Post-processing is thus reduced to a minimum.
Advantages at a glance
- low exposure time and depth of the laser
- metallurgical connection of layer and basic material
- layers are more resistant than thermal spray coatings
- high surface quality and low warpage, with almost no post-processing necessary
- short laser cladding process period, high-energy efficiency
Journal
Less brake dust by laser-coated brake discs
Friction between the brake disc and brake pad produces fine dust, which accounts for a relevant proportion of the total fine dust load. New coating technologies make it possible to manufacture low-wear brake discs with significantly reduced fine dust emissions. An additional layer on the base material - tungsten carbide, for example - achieves high abrasion resistance and enables the particularly economical production of a new generation of brake discs.