Effect of three-dimensional melt pool convection on process characteristics during laser cladding

A three-dimensional heat transfer model is developed to simulate the cladding process that include the different physical phenomena such as heat transfer, phase changes, addition of powder particles and fluid flow due to Marangoni–Rayleigh–Benard convection. It is found that the Rayleigh–Benard convection is insignificant and Marangoni–Benard convection is dominant for the studied cases. By varying the scanning speed and Marangoni number the melt pool size and strength of convection are changed and its influence on clad built-up geometry, dilution level, maximum and average melt pool temperatures and the form and scale of the microstructure of the solidified clad track has been studied.