Laser powder technology for cladding and welding

Laser powder technology offers several advantages compared to conventional cladding and welding techniques and is attracting increasing industrial interest. The laser materials processing group of the German Aerospace Center at Stuttgart, Germany, is currently developing these new methods for application in industrial process engineering. Key areas of the work include the design and implementation of a modular working head that can be universally used for laser welding and surface treatment, the development of powder nozzles for cladding and welding, and the construction of new systems for special applications (e.g., for inner cladding). Some of these developments are described, as well as some important examples that highlight the potential of welding and surface treatment using laser powder techniques.