Liquid thermal cycle during double-track laser cladding of H13 tool steel

Abstract

Laser cladding based Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) is now applied commercially in a range of industries such as the automotive, mining and aerospace due to its diversified potential for material processing. Numerical modelling not only helps to understand the complex physical phenomena involved in this process, it can also be used in the process prediction and system control. The double-track DMD process of H13 tool steel was simulated using a three-dimensional self-consistent model, based on the solutions of the equations of mass, momentum and energy conservation in the liquid pool. The heat transfer, phase changes, mass addition, fluid flow and interactions between the laser beam and the coaxial powder flow were considered in the calculation. The liquid thermal cycle, especially for overlap region between laser tracks was simulated.Laser cladding based Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) is now applied commercially in a range of industries such as the automotive, mining and aerospace due to its diversified potential for material processing. Numerical modelling not only helps to understand the complex physical phenomena involved in this process, it can also be used in the process prediction and system control. The double-track DMD process of H13 tool steel was simulated using a three-dimensional self-consistent model, based on the solutions of the equations of mass, momentum and energy conservation in the liquid pool. The heat transfer, phase changes, mass addition, fluid flow and interactions between the laser beam and the coaxial powder flow were considered in the calculation. The liquid thermal cycle, especially for overlap region between laser tracks was simulated.