Laser Cladding Remanufacturing of Metallic Components in High-End Agricultural Machinery and Equipment: Material Design, Processing, and Properties

Harsh working environments and excessive usage frequency cause wear, fatigue, and corrosion failure in metallic components in high-end agricultural machinery and equipment. Overall replacements of valuable metallic components could result in high overhaul costs and material waste. Therefore, remanufacturing these local areas is an effective way to put damaged components back into service, thus maximizing the value of the remaining materials. Laser cladding (LC) technology utilizes high-energy, high-density laser beams to create cladding layers with specialized properties such as wear and corrosion resistance on the surfaces of damaged metallic components. This work provides a comprehensive analysis of pre-processing, processing, and post-processing in relation to laser cladding remanufacturing (LCR) of metallic components. The review examines the LC process, including material systems (Fe-, Ni-, and Co-based alloys and composites), process optimization, and path planning. The relationship between material composition, process parameters, microstructure evolution, and resultant properties (wear, corrosion, and fatigue) is emphasized. Finally, challenges and future trends faced in this process are introduced in detail. The discussed topics provide some important insights on high-quality and efficient remanufacturing of metallic components in high-end agricultural machinery and equipment.