Numerical simulation to study the effects of different laser cladding sequences on residual stress and deformation of Ti-6Al-4V/WC

Residual stress and deformation of metal matrix composite coatings are significantly influenced by cladding sequences. This paper presents a bionic structure model verified based on the coupling structure of shells, and the difference of residual stress and deformation induced by four laser cladding sequences are simulated using the finite element method. The results indicate that the residual stress principally centralizes on cladding layers, while the deformation chiefly concentrates in the area far away from the fixed points. Furthermore, the distribution trend and value of residual stress are greatly affected by the cladding sequence, while the sequence has little effect on deformation. Based on the simulation results, an optimized cladding sequence of this bionic structure is obtained to control the cladding stress and distortion in the practical application of the Ti-6Al-4V. In addition, Ti-6Al-4V/WC coatings are prepared on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V. The experimental results demonstrate that the bionic coatings can effectively improve the microhardness and wear resistance of substrate.Graphic abstract