Key techniques in parts repair and remanufacturing based on laser cladding: A review

Laser Cladding (LC) remanufacturing technology utilizes high-energy, high-density laser beams to create cladding layers with specialized properties such as wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility on the surfaces of damaged components. The repaired regions are subsequently machined to achieve the desired shape, dimensional accuracy, and surface finish. However, the inherent complexity of LC-based additive manufacturing (AM), combined with numerous influencing factors, makes optimizing cladding process parameters and controlling froming quality challenging. In addition, the high hardness, low thermal conductivity, and heterogeneous characteristic of the cladding layers further complicate subtractive manufacturing (SM) process. Moreover, LC-based remanufacturing suffers from limited dimensional accuracy and low efficiency, which significantly hinders its engineering applications and implementation methods. This paper reviews key techniques in LC-based remanufacturing technology, including materials selection, forming characteristics and properties, cladding parameters optimization, path planning, and machining characteristics. Finally, the existing problems and future development directions of LC-based remanufacturing technology were analyzed. The findings suggest that the LC-based repair process should be approached from the perspective of the entire repair and remanufacturing process chain, ensuring a balance between the mechanical properties and machinability while maintaining the parts service performance. In addition, achieving coordination between LC and NC machining is crucial for advancing LC-based remanufacturing technology.