Journal of Welding Science

316 steel is used in transportation, space, and chemical equipment. This steel is in demand in these industries due to its durability. It is used to increase the lifespan and renovate equipment. The research explores the impact of laser energy density on st6 cladding. It specifically focuses on the microstructure and geometric characteristics of the cladding. The cladding is applied on 316 steel. The experiment was designed with energy density changes from 40 to 116 J/mm and powder rate changes between 12 and 20 g/min. Optical and electron microscopic images were used to evaluate the samples. The results indicated that the dendritic arms grew larger with increased energy density. The dimensions increased from 1.5 to approximately 3. In other words, the speed of cooling is doubled. Increasing energy density from 40 to 75 J/mm reduced cobalt to chromium ratio from 2 to 0.7. It also decreased cobalt to iron ratio from 35 to 3. The changes emphasize how energy density affects microstructure and phase transformations.