Objective To improve the wear resistance of Q235 steel sheet, and to replace the application of 65Mn in the sieve plate of shaker screen. Methods Tungsten carbide/ Nickle-based alloy composite cladding layer was prepared on the surface of Q235 steel plate under the protection of argon gas by resistance wire heating non-vacuum cladding technique. SEM and XRD were used to observe and analyze the combination mode of the cladding layer and the substrate, tungsten carbide distribution, the organization of cladding layer and the phase composition, meanwhile, the Rockwell hardness tester and wear tester were used to test the rock hardness and the wear rate of cladding layer, and analyze the effect of tungsten carbide on the wear resistance of the cladding layer. Results The steel substrate and the cladding layer achieved metallurgical bonding, and the microstructure of the cladding layer mainly consisted of binding phase, tungsten carbide, carbide and boron carbon composite compounds, where the distribution of tungsten carbide was well-proportioned in the cladding layer. With 35% WC content in the cladding layer alloy powder, its rock hardness reached 47. 3HRC and the wear rate was 0. 08 mg / m, which was 5 folds higher than the wear resistance of the steel substrate and 4 folds higher than that of 65Mn. Conclusion The tungsten carbide composite cladding layer prepared with argon gas protection was well bonded with the steel substrate and improved the wear resistance of the steel substrate.