Remanufacture of high value products using a combined Laser cladding, Inspection and Machining system (RECLAIM)

The main aim of the project, is to develop an integrated production system incorporating all of the processes required for cost effective, rapid and reliable remanufacturing.
Currently, most remanufacturing involves a series of operations on different pieces of equipment, which might even be in different companies. Furthermore, each process is labour intensive and dependent upon the skill of the operator. This makes the overall process inefficient, expensive and difficult to manage. The new RECLAIM system, which is developed during the project, combines laser cladding, machining and in-process scanning in a single machining cell. While the main focus will be on the repair of damaged parts, it is planned that the new equipment could also be used to manufacture new metal parts, to upgrade obsolete parts and to reconfigure standard parts for specialist, low-volume applications.