An empirical-statistical model for laser cladding of Ti-6Al-4V powder on Ti-6Al-4V substrate

In this article, Ti-6Al-4V powder alloy was directly deposited on Ti-6Al-4V substrate using laser cladding process. In this process, some key parameters such as laser power (P), laser scanning rate (V) and powder feeding rate (F) play important roles. Using linear regression analysis, this paper develops the empirical statistical relation between these key parameters and geometrical characteristics of single clad tracks (i.e. clad height, clad width, penetration depth, wetting angle, and dilution) as a combined parameter ((PVF gamma)-V-alpha-F-beta). The results indicated that the clad width linearly depended on PV-1/3 and powder feeding rate had no effect on it. The dilution controlled by a combined parameter as VF-1/2 and laser power was a dispensable factor. However, laser power was the dominant factor for the clad height, penetration depth, and wetting angle so that they were proportional to (PV-1F1/4), PVF-1/8, and (PV-1F-1/4)-V-3/4, respectively. Based on the results of correlation coefficient (R > 0.9) and analysis of residuals, it was confirmed that these empirical-statistical relations were in good agreement with the measured values of single clad tracks. Finally, these relations led to the design of a processing map that can predict the geometrical characteristics of the single clad tracks based on the key parameters. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.