Applications of Laser in Cold Spray

Abstract

Cold spray is a solid-state coating and additive manufacturing process. As the cold spray particles are not fully melted during deposition, the as-sprayed coatings typically lack cohesion and adhesion strength. In recent years, in order to improve the cohesion and adhesion strength of cold-sprayed coatings, laser technology has been applied as an assistance for the cold spray deposition. Typically, according to its application at different stages of cold spray process, the function of laser in cold spray can be classified into the following three categories: (i) pre-laser surface treatment, (ii) in situ laser assistance, and (iii) post-laser treatment. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive summary and review of the existing work that uses laser to assist cold spray process.