Laser-Based Additive Manufacturing and Surface Engineering for Advanced Coatings

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "High-Energy Beam Surface Engineering and Coatings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2133

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Materials Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China
Interests: laser surface texturing; wire arc additive manufacturing; soldering welding; material characterization; mechanical properties; selective laser melting
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Surface engineering is experiencing a significant evolution driven by the advanced capabilities of laser-based additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. Methods such as laser cladding, direct energy deposition (DED), and laser metal deposition (LMD) have transitioned from rapid prototyping tools to key manufacturing strategies for high-performance, functional coatings. These processes offer precise control over heat input, microstructure, and geometric accuracy, enabling the production of coatings with superior properties often unattainable through conventional methods.

This Special Issue, titled "Laser-Based Additive Manufacturing and Surface Engineering for Advanced Coatings," aims to showcase the latest research and developments in this dynamic field. It provides a platform for disseminating innovative findings on utilizing laser energy to synthesize, modify, and enhance surface layers for various industrial applications.

The potential topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Laser cladding and DED for wear, corrosion, and high-temperature resistant coatings.
  • Synthesis and properties of amorphous and metallic glass coatings via laser methods.
  • In situ alloying and functionally graded materials in laser additive manufacturing.
  • Process monitoring, automation, and intelligent optimization (e.g., machine vision, AI) in laser coating processes.
  • Microstructural analysis, physical metallurgy, and interface bonding mechanisms of laser-processed coatings.
  • Mechanical, tribological, and corrosion performance characterization of laser-fabricated coatings.
  • Emerging applications across automotive, aerospace, energy, and tooling industries.

Prof. Dr. Peilei Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • laser welding
  • laser additive manufacturing
  • lightweight automobile manufacturing
  • laser cutting
  • laser coatings

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 6242 KB  
Article
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Narrow-Gap Laser Wire-Fed Welded S32101 Duplex Stainless Steel Thick-Plate Joints
by Yuetong Liu, Jinjie Wang, Juan Fu and Feiyun Wang
Coatings 2026, 16(4), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16040446 - 7 Apr 2026
Viewed by 468
Abstract
Duplex stainless steel is widely used in nuclear power, the chemical industry, coastal infrastructure, and other fields due to its excellent mechanical properties, physical properties, and corrosion resistance. This paper focuses on the narrow-gap groove laser welding with wire filling conducted on 25 [...] Read more.
Duplex stainless steel is widely used in nuclear power, the chemical industry, coastal infrastructure, and other fields due to its excellent mechanical properties, physical properties, and corrosion resistance. This paper focuses on the narrow-gap groove laser welding with wire filling conducted on 25 mm S32101 duplex stainless steel. It analyzes the microstructural features of various regions within the welded joint and evaluates its mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Research indicates that the thermal cycle effect during multi-layer and multi-pass welding significantly affects the microstructure and properties of the joint. Austenite in the weld seam area mainly precipitates along the dendrite boundaries; in the overlap area of the weld beads, due to the secondary thermal cycle effect, the austenite content significantly increases to 56.2%, and the grain size is refined; in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) near the seam, austenite appears in stripes, and its content decreases to 39.4%. Mechanical property tests reveal that the welded joint exhibits an average tensile strength of 705 MPa, surpassing that of the base material. The corrosion resistance of the weld zone closely mirrors that of the base material, yet the corrosion resistance of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) is diminished due to the reduction in austenite content and the potential precipitation of harmful phases. Full article
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13 pages, 7421 KB  
Article
Enhanced Wear Resistance of Ti-7.5Nb-4Mo-2Sn Shape Memory Alloy via Optimized Ti-Sn Coating Design and Laser Cladding
by Zhuang Li, Yi Gao, Shan Lei and Xiong Yang
Coatings 2026, 16(3), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16030344 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 344
Abstract
This study addressed the poor wear resistance of Ti-7.5Nb-4Mo-2Sn shape memory alloy through the development of Ti-xSn (x = 6, 8, 9, 10, 20 at.%) coatings and laser cladding technology. This β-type titanium alloy is a promising biomaterial for artificial joints and [...] Read more.
This study addressed the poor wear resistance of Ti-7.5Nb-4Mo-2Sn shape memory alloy through the development of Ti-xSn (x = 6, 8, 9, 10, 20 at.%) coatings and laser cladding technology. This β-type titanium alloy is a promising biomaterial for artificial joints and bone fixation implants, and laser cladding is a superior surface modification technology for fabricating metallurgically bonded high-performance coatings. Microstructural characterization revealed that increasing Sn content from 6% to 10% progressively suppressed β-phase formation while enhancing microhardness (peak value: 430.06 HV1) and wear resistance. Conversely, further Sn addition of 20% degraded these properties. The optimal Ti-10Sn alloy was subsequently laser cladded onto a Ti-7.5Nb-4Mo-2Sn substrate in the form of pre-placed thin sheets under varying laser scanning speeds (7–13 mm/s). The results indicated that processing at 10 mm/s produced superior coating features, including complete metallurgical bonding (20 μm transition layer), the maximum surface hardness (494 HV1, 93% increase), and superior wear resistance. Microscopic analysis confirmed a wear mechanism transition from mixed adhesive–abrasive wear (7.5Nb-4Mo-2Sn substrate) to pure abrasive wear (Ti-10Sn coating), resulting in the enhanced wear resistance of the substrate. This study demonstrated that synergistic alloy design combined with a laser cladding approach can significantly enhance biomedical alloy performance. Full article
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18 pages, 9330 KB  
Article
Study on the Flow Behavior of Molten Pool in K-TIG Welding of Invar 36 and Stainless Steel Dissimilar Materials
by Chunsi Li, Peng Xu, Yonggang Du, Jiayuan Li, Hongbing Liu, Fei Wang, Bowei He and Yang Xuan
Coatings 2026, 16(1), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16010058 - 4 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 869
Abstract
The paper investigates the arc behavior and molten metal flow during Keyhole tungsten inert gas (K-TIG) welding of dissimilar materials, Invar 36 and stainless steel (types 304, 316, 309, and 310) specifically. A high-speed camera was used to capture the contour of the [...] Read more.
The paper investigates the arc behavior and molten metal flow during Keyhole tungsten inert gas (K-TIG) welding of dissimilar materials, Invar 36 and stainless steel (types 304, 316, 309, and 310) specifically. A high-speed camera was used to capture the contour of the molten pool in real time. Results showed that in stainless steel welding, the arc shape is bell-shaped, and the distance from the tip of the molten pool to the keyhole decreases with increasing thermal conductivity (6.76–10.86 mm). When Invar 36 was butt-welded, the arc contracted. However, when Invar 36 was welded with dissimilar materials of stainless steel, the arc deflected to the Invar 36 side. The deflection angle ranged from 29.9° to 37°, resulting in an asymmetric arc shape. The distance from the tip of the molten pool to the keyhole increased to 10.88–13.33 mm, which was about 42% higher than that of the same material welding. Metallographic analysis showed that the width of the heat affected zone on the Invar 36 side increases with the decrease in thermal conductivity of the stainless steel (1.77–2.03 mm). Differences in thermophysical properties and viscosity further led to asymmetric molten pool flow and metal accumulation behavior. This study quantified the formation mechanism of arc deflection and weld pool asymmetry in K-TIG welding of dissimilar materials. Full article
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