The Home Of Laser Assisted Cold Spray (LACS)

LACS enables the deposition of WC-Co composite coatings on steel substrates using nitrogen based cold spray. Resulting coatings have hardness in excess of 1500 Hv.

Ground 500 µm coating.

Dense, well adhered coating.

Lack of melting prevents dissolution of sub µm carbide particles into the matrix.

The solid state mechanism exploited by LACS also allows other temperature sensitive components such as magnetic materials or solid state lubricants into coatings and bulk deposits.

LACS overcomes the limitations of CS to enable the deposition of Tungsten coatings. By the avoidence of melting, cracking typical of themal deposition processes is also overcome.

Mutlilayer coatings > 2.5 mm have been demonstrated with tensile strength comparable with bulk material.

Coating strcuture shows consolidated particles on a similar scale to the powder feedstock.

Cross section of a ~ 1 mm thick tungsten coating on molybdenum substrate. Coating is bonded to substrate without cracks or pores.

Tungsten coatings have been applied to tungsten and molybdenum substrates and are being evaluated for use in a range of industires.

Despite having similar hardness, LACS coatings containing sub µm carbides have demonstrated a 50% reduction in friction and reduced wear when compared with laser clad coatings from the same feedstock powder.

By improving the performance of coatings deposited using nitrogen, LACS reduces the need for helium based cold spray, significnatly cutting operational costs.