USING FIBRE OPTICS FOR LASER CLADDING

In many Navy structures, there are many large components that are coated for wear protection (valve seats) and/or for corrosion protection (hatch seats) that require periodic refurbishment. This refurbishment is normally accomplished using conventional arc welding processes which in many cases require that the part be removed from the structure to properly control the pre-weld, interpass, and post-weld temperatures as required by the materials used. The removal of such large components, the thermal requirements, and the resulting distortion can greatly increase the cost for refurbishment. The Navy Manufacturing Technology Office (MANTECH) of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy has been funding two major programs through Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA 5142), and the Applied Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University (ARL Penn State) to decrease such high refurbishment costs. The first program is the development of high-powered laser cladding processes for the refurbishment of components that can be removed from the ship and into a laser materials processing facility. The second, and the primary topic of this paper, is the development of a shipboard laser materials processing system that utilises fibre optics.