Multi-parameter Optimization of Laser Cladding 15-5PH Using TOPSIS-GRA Based on Combined Weighting Method

As a martensitic precipitation-hardening stainless steel of high strength, high hardness, and excellent corrosion resistance, 15-5PH stainless steel can be used in laser cladding to repair components or improve surface performance. The cladding layer is affected by the process parameters directly. A Taguchi experiment (L₂₅) of 15-5PH powder laser cladding is carried out on the surface of 45# steel to study the optimization of laser cladding process parameters. Analytic Hierarchy Process and Entropy Weighting Method are combined to determine the weight of each response index, the comprehensive Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution and Grey Relational Analysis are integrated to obtain a better geometric performance of the cladding layer. The Analysis of Variance shows that the scanning speed is the most significant parameter on the performance of 15-5PH cladding layer. The validation experiments shows that under the optimal process parameters, the three geometric performance responses of the cladding layer have been improved as expected. The optimized cladding layer has obvious advantages in geometry morphology and properties, which verified the feasibility of the optimization method.