ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING & HARDFACING

Laser Cladding & Direct Energy Deposition (DED) Vector Toolpath Guide

Laser Cladding and Direct Energy Deposition (DED) use a focused multi-kilowatt laser beam to melt metal powder or wire directly onto a substrate. It is heavily utilized in aerospace turbine refurbishing, mining drill hardfacing (Stellite, Inconel, Tungsten Carbide), and oil & gas valve protection.

1. Track Overlap Ratio & Surface Waviness

Stepover pitch between adjacent cladding tracks is defined by $P = W \times (1 - \text{Overlap})$. Maintaining an overlap of $45\% - 55\%$ produces the optimal metallurgical bond: it remelts the cusp of the preceding pass to eliminate un-fused voids while avoiding excessive thermal buildup.