Multi-Objective Optimization of Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Laser Cladding Process for Inconel 625 via Tent-SSA-BP and NSGA-II
摘要
Ultrasonic vibration-assisted laser cladding of Inconel 625 coatings shows great application potential; however, the quality and performance of the resulting coatings are highly dependent on specific process parameters. This study aims to fabricate high-performance Inconel 625 coatings by ultrasonic vibration-assisted laser cladding, with laser power, scanning speed, powder feeding rate, and ultrasonic amplitude optimized to achieve low dilution, an appropriate aspect ratio, and high microhardness. Orthogonal experiments were conducted to analyze the effects of process parameters. On this basis, a Tent-SSA-BP prediction model was established to describe the relationship between process parameters and coating performance, and the NSGA-II algorithm was combined for multi-objective optimization, with the optimization results experimentally validated. Finally, Inconel 625 coatings were fabricated by ultrasonic vibration-assisted laser cladding using the optimized parameters and an appropriate overlap rate, and their microstructure, microhardness, and wear performance were characterized. The results show that scanning speed mainly affects dilution rate and microhardness, while laser power predominantly influences the aspect ratio. The Tent-SSA-BP model demonstrated high prediction accuracy for all three outputs. NSGA-II optimization determined the optimal parameters as a laser power of 868.29 W, scanning speed of 3.30 mm/s, powder feeding rate of 8.01 g/min, and ultrasonic amplitude of 17.83 μm, with predicted dilution rate, aspect ratio, and microhardness of 43.02%, 3.04, and 210.36 HV, respectively. Compared with the coating fabricated without ultrasonic vibration, the optimized ultrasonic vibration-assisted coating exhibited refined grains, higher microhardness of 222-231 HV, a lower average friction coefficient of 0.597, and good metallurgical bonding. This study provides an effective strategy for process prediction and optimization in ultrasonic vibration-assisted laser cladding of Inconel 625 coatings.