Repair welding method by laser deposition using a filler wire

The Business Opportunity

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is seeking expressions of interest from firms wishing to enter into a commercial licensing arrangement to bring to market our patented “Repair welding method by laser deposition using a filler wire”, which was developed by researchers at our CanmetMATERIALS Hamilton laboratory. The ideal licensee would be a distributor for this technology, and would have the capacity for the manufacturing, service, maintenance, support, marketing and sales. The ideal licensee will belong to the welding industry, dealing with the repair of structures for critical components of submarines, pressure vessels, power systems, nuclear and chemical food processing plants, and petroleum industries.

Brief Technology Description

NRCan has filed a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application for this technology, disclosing novel welding methods by using low power density laser direct energy deposition with a filler wire, preferably a hot filler wire, as a filler material to produce welded build-ups. The welding methods and processes using a filler wire can be used in various welding positions and orientations. For certain steels, for example, HY-80 steel or a similar steel, the build-up repair welding can be performed without preheating the substrate or by preheating the substrate to a temperature below 90 °C.

Reference Material

Patents: PCT/CA2021/051883, published as WO2022/133613

Appendix A: Technology Background and Details

Appendix B: Business Plan Required Format

Expression of Interest

Companies interested in commercializing the NRCan technology must submit a letter of interest to NRCan on or before December 20, 2023. Preference will be given to Canadian companies, but U.S. and other foreign companies will also be considered provided that such foreign companies demonstrate a benefit to Canada.

NRCan will invite qualified companies to attend an interactive webinar where additional technical information will be presented. Participation in this information session will be subject to signing a non-disclosure agreement. Following the webinar, companies may submit questions and requests for clarifications. NRCan’s responses to questions and requests for clarifications will be issued to all qualified companies alike.

Companies interested in becoming NRCan’s licensee will then be required to submit a business plan for NRCan’s consideration. Business plans must address all of the elements outlined in Appendix B: Business Plan Required Format, and must be submitted to the contact below.

Contact

Kulwinder Singh
Intellectual Property Officer - Intellectual Property Division (IPD)
Natural Resources Canada/Government of Canada
kulwinder.singh@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca
P: 613-371-3178

Appendix A: Technology Background and Details

Background

Low-alloy quench and tempered steels have high strength and toughness. Because they are reasonably economic and permit high design stresses, they have become popular in the fabrication of various structures for critical components, such as submarines, pressure vessels, power systems, nuclear and chemical food processing plants, and petroleum industries, among others. Such steels frequently contain Ni, Cr, Mo, and low wt. % of carbon.

Although components made from quench and tempered steels exhibit a long service life, it is still possible that wear, erosion, and corrosion will occur, necessitating repair of components made from such steels. After having removed a damaged or worn area or region of the steel, their repair is usually carried out by welding. Damaged components may be completely repaired and restored to their original geometry and dimension. This kind of repair welding is usually termed “build-up welding”, “additive manufacturing repair welding”, or “deposition welding”, and has been extensively used in various industries.

One challenge associated with repair welding is that it is not always possible to repeat the original post-weld heat treatment. Under such circumstances, it is essential that all regions of the repair weld, that is to say the repair weld metal and the associated heat affected zone, have sufficient strength and fracture toughness to avoid brittle fractures during subsequent testing and service.

Several techniques, often called temper bead welding, based on the manual metal arc process, have been developed for repair welding without post-weld heat treatment. However, these techniques have their own drawback and limitations.

Repair welding method by laser deposition using a filler wire

In order to solve these issues, NRCan is offering a build-up welding method by low power density laser direct energy deposition upon a substrate to be welded, without preheating the substrate or by preheating the substrate to a temperature below 90 °C, comprising the steps of:

• directing a laser beam onto the substrate to melt a portion of the substrate to form a molten pool;
• supplying a filler wire, preferably hot filler wire, as a filler material to produce a welded build-up as a first layer;
• advancing the filler wire towards and into the molten pool formed by the laser beam;
• wherein the filler wire is resistance-heated, optionally by a separate energy source;
• optionally electricity is shorted to prevent a traditional arc such that the filler wire reaches its melting point and contacts the molten pool; and
• wherein the laser beam is directed perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the substrate.

Appendix B: Business Plan Required Format

Companies are encouraged to submit concise and clear evidence under the following headings:

Executive Summary

Section 1: Company Information

• General overview and company summary
  • Organizational maturity
  • Experience /success in the industry
  • Technical capability
  • Marketing capacity
• Corporate objectives
  • Short-term objectives
  • Long-term objectives

Section 2: Key Personnel and Networks

• Provide company organization chart identifying key members and foreseen roles
• Provide resumes of personnel key to this project including credentials and relevant experience

Section 3: Knowledge and Experience

• Previous experience on similar projects
• Experience testing welding
• Experience conducting business in welding industry
• Knowledge of the regulatory structure for welding of critical components of submarines, pressure vessels, power systems, nuclear and chemical food processing plants, and petroleum industries sector or other industry that manufacture components comprising steel alloy parts
• Provide evidence of Quality Managed System

Section 4: Financial Stability

Each company authorises NRCan to make credit enquiries about it and any of its affiliates and to receive and exchange credit information from credit reporting agencies or other persons with which the company or any of its affiliates has or may expect to have financial dealings. Each company must provide NRCan with the company’s (and, on request by NRCan, any of the company’s affiliates) audited financial statements for the last three financial years for which they are available and financial statements for any period after the last audited period.

Section 5: Market, Customer, and Competition Analysis

• Market opportunity, size and trends
• Key customer bases
• Key competitors

Section 6: Production and Marketing Plan

• Product or services description
• Distribution channel(s)
• Target markets (i.e. Canada, USA, worldwide) and sales strategy

Section 7: Company Financial Information

• Five-year cash flow forecast
• Capital cost estimates
• Operating budgets
• Proposed sale price for product (s) or services incorporating NRCan’s technology
• Proposed profit margin targets for sales of product(s) or services incorporating NRCan’s technology
• Proposed royalty structure for product (s) or services incorporating NRCan’s technology