New Applications High-Speed Laser Cladding Conquers New Application Fields

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FAULHABER Drive Systems

Laser-based manufacturing processes can meet many new requirements. Consider the repair of expensive components, scalable production, and generally stricter regulations. The answer is EHLA.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) and its partner Etxetar aim to support the industry in overcoming existing hurdles and are expanding the industrial use of laser metal deposition (LMD) and extreme high-speed laser metal deposition (EHLA). Through a memorandum of understanding, the two parties agree to pool process knowledge, industrial engineering, and application expertise to specifically address the increasing demands of the aviation sector, coatings, and other industries.

These are the Competencies of Etxetar and ILT

Etxetar brings more than just its mechanical engineering expertise to this partnership. The Spanish company sees itself as an engineering partner for high-quality industrial methods, combining machine tool expertise with a strong application focus, according to the ILT. This is evident in specific work on turbine blades, blisk repairs, railway axles, and gearbox components. But its knowledge also pays off in proprietary process strategies, involving software-assisted process monitoring and integration into industrial production workflows. This creates a strong foundation to jointly explore how LMD and EHLA can meet specific industrial requirements and open up new market opportunities. The Fraunhofer ILT contributes profound expertise in laser metal deposition processes, both LMD and EHLA—advancing these technologies to meet industrial demands and transferring process knowledge into scalable system designs. This includes capturing component geometries during coatings, detecting deviations from target contours, and automatically adjusting process parameters such as feed rates. This expertise is particularly valuable when adapting established processes for new applications and tighter industrial requirements.

New Components

The Two-Micrometer Laser is Now More Powerful

Euro 7-Compliant Alternatives Bring New Opportunities

A key driver for the growing adoption of these technologies is regulation. The European Euro 7 framework has expanded its scope beyond emissions to include non-exhaust sources (such as brake particle emissions), significantly altering the market environment for coating and surface technologies. As a result, manufacturers of brake discs and other wear-intensive components face increasing pressure to find robust and scalable alternatives. In this context, Etxetar has already positioned EHLA-based solutions. Euro 7 creates demand for scalable coating alternatives, and this pressure will not remain confined to Europe. "We expect similar requirements to emerge in other key markets as well," says Dr. Thomas Schopphoven, Head of the Laser Material Deposition Department at ILT. From the perspective of the research institute, many manufacturers begin looking for alternatives as soon as legislation establishes a clear technical need. This paves the way for broader industrial adoption in other markets, such as China, India, and Japan.