Study on Improvement of Surface Properties of SKD61 Powder on S45C Using Laser Cladding

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effect of cladding on structural carbon steel (S45C) using 5%Cr-1.5%Mo-Fe powder (SKD61), which is expected to show economically efficient production of die-casting parts. The process conditions were performed under argon atmosphere using a diode laser source with specialized wavelength of 900-1070 nm, and the output conditions were 3, 4, and 5 kW, respectively. After the cladding was completed, the surface coating layer’s shape and the microstructure were analyzed. The hardness test was carried out with Micro Vickers hardness tester under 500 gram-force along the normal line at the interval of 0.2 mm from the surface to core direction on the cross-sectional area. In addition, polarization curve test of the surface coating layer was performed to investigate the corrosion resistance characteristics.