LAUSR

Abstract A successful attempt at laser cladding of H13 (AISI) hot work tool steel by the laser engineered net shaping technique is presented. Technological parameters, such as laser spot diameter, powder flow rate, and deposition velocity, were changed during the experiment. The influences of the different technological parameters on the efficiency of the cladding, geometry of the clads and properties of the deposited material were investigated. As a result, 75 different samples were deposited. The efficiency of the cladding varies significantly within the chosen range of parameters and is as low as several percentage points. The chosen parameters also appear to affect the shape of the clad, size of the heat-affected zone, microstructure and hardness of the steel, which ranged from 500 to 800 HV after deposition. The proper choice of parameters led to the desired surface hardness of the deposited material, and a heat treatment of the final product may not be necessary.