Refurbishment of Cast Iron Components using Laser Cladding

Grey cast iron finds extensive applications in the Glass mould industries and automotive industries for making components like dies, gears, links, cylinder block, cylinder head, clutch plate, etc. Many times, the size of the cast component is large, and a small localised wear can lead to scrapping the entire component. Repair of cast iron has been very challenging due to the presence of free carbon in the form of graphite flakes, which form COx gases during deposition and these gases get entrapped during the deposition process, resulting in porosity. Transverse cracking is another deterrent in repair, which occurs due to interfacial stresses associated with the formation of a hard and brittle heat-affected zone. Laser cladding, due to its advantages like minimal and controlled energy input, can minimise the heat-affected zone and minimise the formation of COx gases. Repair solutions with or without pre-heating were developed successfully.