Design and Field Testing of Laser Cladding Coatings with Surface Textures on Rotary Tiller Blades

ZHU Chen; JIANG Fulin; XIONG Jiajun; YANG Fazhan; LI Yuhuan

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.11.009

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (11) : 97-109. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.11.009

Friction, Wear and Lubrication

Design and Field Testing of Laser Cladding Coatings with Surface Textures on Rotary Tiller Blades

ZHU Chen, JIANG Fulin^*, XIONG Jiajun, YANG Fazhan, LI Yuhuan

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Abstract

The work aims to improve the wear resistance of rotary tiller blades, reduce the cost of laser cladding powder, and enhance the working efficiency of rotary tillers. As key soil-contacting components of agricultural machinery, rotary tiller blades endure continuous abrasive wear from soil, sand, and crop residues during tillage. This wear often leads to premature failure, frequent replacements, and increased operational costs, while traditional laser cladding with overlapping coatings consumes excessive powder and easily generates defects (e.g., pores, cracks) at interface, limiting both cost-effectiveness and long-term wear resistance. Thus, the work aims to address these issues through an optimized coating design.
Laser cladding technology was used to design and prepare four types of non-overlapping textured Ni60A-WC (20%) composite coatings with grooves on the surface of 245-type 65Mn steel rotary tiller blades. 65Mn steel was selected for its high strength and good toughness, suitable for agricultural machinery parts. The four texture configurations were specifically designed based on the blade's stress characteristics during tillage, including textures perpendicular to the blade edge, parallel to the blade edge, vertical cross (formed by two groups of grooves intersecting at 90°), and oblique cross (formed by two groups of grooves intersecting at 45°). The core design of the grooves was to realize soil self-filling: during operation, soil mixtures could enter the grooves to form a protective layer and replace worn soil in real time, reducing direct abrasive contact between the coating and soil. To identify key cladding-reinforced areas, the discrete element method (EDEM) was applied to simulate the tillage process, calculating cumulative contact force and contact energy to pinpoint regions with high stress. Field tests were then conducted: blades with different textures and ordinary uncoated blades were installed on the same rotary tiller for tillage in a uniform field. After testing, wear rates were calculated via weight loss measurement. Laser confocal microscopy was used to observe the morphology of worn coatings, analyze wear scars and areas, and explore wear mechanisms, with comparisons made between textured coatings and traditional overlapping coatings.
Through EDEM simulation, it was determined that stress concentrated at the blade's tangential edge (main cutting part), side cutting edge (responsible for side soil trimming), and their junction and these areas bore over 70% of the total contact energy, confirming them as key reinforcement positions. Field test results showed that the vertical cross texture had the best wear resistance, because its wear rate was only 2.33%, an 80% reduction compared with ordinary blades. In terms of powder consumption, the vertical cross texture used 4.1 g of powder, 67% less than the 18.6 g required for traditional overlapping cladding in the same reinforcement area. Meanwhile, field test wear data were consistent with EDEM simulation results, verifying the simulation’s accuracy. Laser confocal microscopy results further confirmed the vertical cross texture's superiority: at the stress concentration junction, its wear area (852.559 μm²) was only 18% of that of the texture perpendicular to the blade edge, with fewer and shallower wear scars.
By preparing grooved textured Ni60A-WC (20%) composite coatings, soil mixtures fill the coating grooves during tillage, forming a dense self-filling wear-resistant coating with gradient properties parallel to the cutting direction. The grooves enable a dynamic cycle of soil filling-wear-refilling: worn soil in grooves is replaced by new soil particles in real time, ensuring continuous protection. This design reduces powder consumption by 67% while leveraging the composite coating's high hardness to improve blade wear resistance by 80%. It provides an effective technical solution for enhancing the performance of rotary tiller blades and promoting cost-effective surface modification of agricultural machinery components.

Key words

rotary blade / laser cladding / discrete element simulation / composite coating / wear resistance / wear mechanism

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ZHU Chen, JIANG Fulin, XIONG Jiajun, YANG Fazhan, LI Yuhuan. Design and Field Testing of Laser Cladding Coatings with Surface Textures on Rotary Tiller Blades[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(11): 97-109

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Funding

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Key Research and Development Program Project (2024BBF02028); Qingdao Science and Technology Benefiting the People Demonstration and Guidance Special Project (24-1-8-xdny-14-nsh); Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Science and Technology Program Project (2024AB047)