Thick laser coatings: A review

This article describes the applications of lasers in coating deposition processes. After an introduction concerning the types and principal characteristics of the laser and the emitted light beams, a description of the mechanism of interaction between a laser beam with typical coating materials is presented. The typical laser treatment processes are depicted, and their characteristics are shown. Recent papers on coatings produced in one-step and two-step laser deposition are reviewed, Finally, the emerging applications of laser processes in thermal spray coatings are discussed.