Options
2019
Presentation
Titel
Laser wire cladding - How fine can we go?
Titel Supplements
Paper presented at International Congress on Applications of Lasers and Electro-Optics, ICALEO 2019, October 7-10, 2019, Orlando, Florida
Abstract
In this contribution the newly developed laser fine wire optic ""COAXwire mini"" for cladding, repair and additive manufacturing of filigree structures using wires in diameter range of 0.1 mm (0.004 inch) till 0.6 mm (0.024 inch) will be introduced. Based on the already industrially acknowledged COAXwire system [1], the COAXwire mini is equipped with specifically developed optic components to allow the use of fiber, disc or diode lasers (in particular blue and green wavelength) and up to now it has been qualified up to 1 kW laser power. By using a high beam quality and a numerical aperture ideally smaller than 0.1, the standard LLK-D or QBH laser fiber interfaces can be connected. In the COAXwire mini the focused laser beam is symmetrically split into three single beams and guided again by a special patented optics module to achieve a triple focus in which the fine wire material is supplied exactly into the center axis. This requires two high precision adjustments in the processing optic: the first splits the focused beam exactly into three equal single beams and the second adjusts the fine wire into the triple laser focus in XYZ directions. The optical aspect ratio is 1:2 as standard. An integrated miniature camera observes the process and a crossjet flow deflects unwanted spatters. In addition to its low weight and small dimensions, it is equipped with a watercooled smoke extraction module, which filters metal vapors during the welding process, resulting in an even cleaner and environmentally friendly cladding. The COAXwire mini system integrates sensors to monitor all three protective glasses, the cooling water flow and the temperature inside the cladding system, ensuring a predictive maintenance and quality control of the process and system. The cladding optic can process a wide range of materials which can potentially be applied for coatings and structures in aviation, medical engineering, tool making and many more. In this contribution the feasibility for cladding and 3D geometries will be demonstrated with fine wire diameters of 0.2 mm (0.008 inch) and 0.4 mm (0.016 inch) of steel X20CrMo17-1. To think ahead single tracks with wire by a size of a hair with 0.1 mm (0.004 inch) are being cladded. They are the smallest laser wire cladding dimensions worldwide based on our knowledge.
Author(s)