Apparatus for application of metallic coatings to metallic substrates
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
Inventor; Norman B. Livsey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A metallic coating is applied to a metallic substrate by directing a laser beam on to the substrate and simultaneously directing a gas stream containing entrained particles of the coating material on to the area of laser impingement on the substrate. The particles are melted by the laser beam to form a pool of molten coating metal. Relative movement is effected between the laser beam and substrate so that a pool of molten coating metal traverses the substrate to form a solidified metallic coating which is fused to the metallic substrate.
Claims7
Apparatus suitable for applying a metallic coating to a metallic substrate comprising a laser arranged to direct a laser beam on to the substrate to be coated, said laser beam having an area of impingement on said substrate, means arranged to direct a gas stream on to the area of impingement of said laser beam on said substrate, means for metering particles of the metallic coating material into said gas stream such that said metered metallic particles of coating material are entrained therein and directed to said area of laser beam impingement on said substrate, and means to effect a relative movement between said laser and said substrate so that in operation, said area of laser beam impingement, and hence metallic coating impingement, traverses said substrate at such a rate that fusion takes place between said metallic substrate and said molten metallic coating material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.