Experimental Study on Surface Characteristics of Laser Cladding Layer Regulated by High-Frequency Microforging

Abstract

High-frequency microforging technology is used to produce micrometer-scale plastic deformation on the surface of material out of the vibration impact of a forging punch, and the cumulative effect of its various frequencies on micrometer-scale plastic deformation can cause changes of surface microstructure and mechanical properties. This study used (1) a self-made machine to treat NiCrBSi alloy, (2) a mechanical comparator and optical microscopy (OM) to study the geometric characteristics of plastic deformation, (3) OM and scanning electric microscopy (SEM) to observe influence on surface microstructure and cracking behavior of the laser cladding layer under microforging, (4) x-ray diffractometer (XRD) to measure the surface residual stress of laser cladding layer before and after forging, and (5) microhardness tester and wearing experimental machine to study changes of microhardness, friction coefficient, and wear characteristics of laser cladding layer after microforging. The results have shown that high-frequency microforging could produce plastic deformation about 150 μm deep on the surface of NiCrBSi alloy clad by laser. Regular dendrite and eutectic crystallization microstructure, which is a peculiar characteristic of the laser cladding layer, was broken into pieces and formed residual compression residual stress on the surface. Resistance to cracking of laser cladding layer improved greatly, microhardness and wearability increased, and the friction coefficient did not under go a noticeable change.