Simple model of powder catchment in coaxial laser cladding

High efficiency of the powder deposition in coaxial laser cladding is a key subject for this new technique adopted to the industry. A catchment model was proposed in this study to characterize the particle bonding under laser heating in the cladding process. The phenomena of the particle rebound and adhesion on substrate were discussed and the catchment efficiency was mathematically modelled based on the beam spot and the stream cross-section area. The theoretical catchment efficiency was further verified with the experiments and the results give an insight of the powder stream characteristics of the coaxial nozzle.