TRUMPF: As good as new - Laser deposition welding repairs and improves parts while saving resources

This method can lead to 90 percent savings in materials and material costs. "The potential to save resources with laser deposition welding is huge," said Dr. Antonio Candel-Ruiz in his presentation at the Conference on Production Engineering on September 30, 2010, in Stuttgart, Germany. Laser metal deposition (LMD) can be used to repair and optimize parts by improving resistance to wear and corrosion, said Candel-Ruiz, an expert in laser surface treatment methods at TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik in Ditzingen, Germany.

Functional layer or repair
Almost any industry can benefit from laser deposition welding, including farm machinery manufacturers, the petrochemical, automotive, aerospace, heavy industries and medical technology, he said. "The economic potential of this technology involves improving basic components with a functional layer or considerably extending the service life of expensive components." In this regard, improvements to functional layers often mean increasing temperature, corrosion and wear resistance. One example: LMD reinforces drill pipes for oil drilling with a particularly resistant layer.
The second important application range for LMD is repair welding of expensive components which have some localized damage but are still fully functional. "The most well-known application here is the repair of turbine blades on turbine wheels," said Candel-Ruiz.

Lasers and powder generate layer system
In laser deposition welding, the laser beam produces a molten bath on the surface of the component. In this molten bath, powder nozzles spray a metalic powder coaxially to the working beam that melts down. Depending on the application, individual materials or powder mixes that are made of various materials are used so that the properties of the layer can be very precisely determined. "Iron, cobalt, titanium and nickel alloys as well as materials containing carbides are worth considering," said Candel-Ruiz.
In most cases, the welding tracks have a height of 0.3 to 1.2 millimeters and a width between 1 and 3 millimeters. "In order to increase the layer strength, multiple grooves can be deposited on top of one another," he said. One advantage is that the procedure applies only a little heat to the workpiece and causes no warping in the component. With each pass, additional layers are applied to either improve a new workpiece surface or repair processing or wear damage and restore the original geometry of a component. "By doing so, the procedure can also form three-dimensional structures, like the tip of a turbine blade," added Candel-Ruiz.

TRUMPF offers turnkey laser systems
To achieve a homogenous layer with predetermined properties, the laser output, powder composition and the supply of frequently needed additional materials have to be precisely coordinated and controlled. TRUMPF offers complete technology packages for LMD applications that meet these requirements. These include powder conveyors, nozzles, optics, solid-state lasers, a programming system as well as the appropriate laser system. "For smaller components, we recommend the TruLaser Cell 3008. If customers want to process larger parts, the TruLaser Cell Series 7000 or the TruLaser Robot 5020 is ideal," said Candel-Ruiz.

About TRUMPF
With sales totaling US $ 1.86 billion (€ 1.34 billion) and 7,800 employees (preliminary figures for the 2009/10 fiscal year), the TRUMPF Group ranks among the leading manufacturing companies worldwide. The three following business divisions are combined under the umbrella of a holding company: Machine Tools/Power Tools, Laser Technology/Electronics and Medical Technology. Its core business is machine tools for flexible sheet metal processing for punching and forming, laser processing and bending. In the field of industrial lasers and laser systems, the company is the technological leader in the world market. With about 60 subsidiaries and branch offices, the Group is represented in almost every European country, in North and South America as well as in Asia. Production locations can be found in Germany, Austria, China, Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Switzerland and the USA.

For further information about the company, please visit www.trumpf.com.

TRUMPF Group
Business Field Laser Technology
Press/Public Relations
TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG
Johann-Maus-Straße 2
71254 Ditzingen
Germany

Holger Kapp
+49 7156 303-31559
holger.kapp@de.trumpf.com

This release was published on openPR.