The CLAD® process (Construction Laser Additive Directe, in French) allows the manufacturing of mechanical components and complex profiles layer by layer. This process is based on the principle of the laser cladding of metallic powders by a patented coaxial nozzle (The nozzle is patented by the technical center IREPA LASER). The powder filler material is injected coaxially into a high power laser beam. Thus the energy input is partly used to melt both the filler material and the surface of the substrate.


The patented nozzle (IREPA LASER)

The technology allows the direct manufacture of mechanical parts of very small size whose width wall is less than one mm (> 500 μm) or of large parts (1 to 5 mm) with a very good powder catchment efficiency (50 to 90%).

A long part (CP-Titanium, width : 1 mm, height : 130 mm, fiber laser power : 120 W)


This technology allows the realization of complex forms without lubrication, without specific tools. The CLAD process can be considered as a supplement or an alternative to conventional processes (machining, casting…) for carrying out mechanical parts in small series.

Picture : Adding profiles on parts (CP-titanium)

This process was awarded a prize (Special award of the jury) during the European Forum on Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing, Paris, March 2008.

Other parts :





Modification of a stainless steel part (AISI 316L, single mode fiber laser)









Manufacturing of a finned tube on a 5 axis CNC workstation. The tube is built then the wings are deposited.
(Cp-Titanium, single mode fiber laser, power 100 W, powder feed rate : 500 mg/min)






The nozzle can be adapted for different laser systems (fiber laser, Nd:YAG, diodes) to produce small parts or large parts.


In the video, a steel tube is modified by adding stainless steel wings (3000 W diodes laser system).



SUMMARY:

The CLAD process :

1. can be used instead of machining
2. is an additive process : decreasing of material loses
3. is a rapid process : parts can be manufactured directly from CAD files
4. can add shapes on machined/casted parts
5. build free of pores and defects parts
6. allows Multi-materials deposition
7. can fix high cost parts