With HICLAD, Fraunhofer IWS scientists have developed a process concept designed to maximize corrosion and wear protection through customized surface functionalization. The focus is also on reducing particulate emissions. Another plus: cost-effective series production.
The high-performance high-speed laser cladding (HICLAD) developed at the Fraunhofer IWS uses specially developed powder nozzles and optical configurations. This results in a stable and reproducible coating process with up to 20 kilowatts of laser power. Brake discs are coated in two layers: first, a corrosion protection layer of stainless steel around 125 micrometres thick is applied, followed by a tribological layer consisting of an iron-based alloy with embedded hard materials such as tungsten carbide, titanium carbide or chromium carbide.
The coating system and the mixing ratios are adjusted in such a way that, in combination with the brake pads, an optimum friction pairing can be achieved in terms of braking properties and minimum particulate emissions. The service life of the treated brake discs is considerably extended.
HICLAD enables high-quality corrosion coatings in an efficient process.
