Development of microstructure simulation methods of laser cladding layer

Laser cladding is a new additive manufacturing technology that has emerged in recent years. It offers the advantages of a dense cladding layer structure and good bonding with the substrate, making it suitable for repairing parts surfaces and with broad application prospects. Mechanical properties are key performance indicators of the cladding layer. However, the small size and inhomogeneous structure of the cladding layer make it difficult to prepare mechanical properties tests. The microstructure is a key factor affecting the mechanical properties of the cladding layer. Therefore, it is urgent to carry out research on microstructure simulation of the laser cladding layer in order to obtain its mechanical properties. This paper provides a summary of the commonly used microstructure simulation methods, including the research achievements of phase field method, Monte Carlo (MC) method, and cellular automaton (CA) method in the microstructural simulation of laser cladding and metal solidification. The existing problems are analyzed, and the future development direction of this field is forecasted. The phase field method has high accuracy in its simulation results and does not require complex solid–liquid interface tracking, but its solution is complex, and its calculation efficiency is low due to the large calculation amount. The MC method is relatively simple to calculate and does not assume specific grains, but lacks physical basis for the quantitative analysis of the impact of various physical phenomena. The CA method is a commonly used microstructure simulation method with clear physical significance, high computational efficiency, and low cost and has broad prospects for development.