Abstract: The disclosure discloses a method for reinforcing a rail by laser and auxiliary heat source efficient hybrid cladding. The laser and the auxiliary heat source simultaneously apply on a region to be cladded of a rail surface. The laser serves as a main heat source to enable simultaneous and rapid fusion of an added metal powder and partial substrate material in the rail surface to form a molten pool. The auxiliary heat source moves with the laser heat source in the same direction at the same speed, and performs synchronous preheating and/or post-heating on the laser molten pool, the heat-affected zone and the surface layer of the rail substrate to reduce the temperature gradient, thereby reducing the cooling rate, and avoiding martensite transformation and cracking in the heat-affected zone.

Abstract: Provided are a method and an apparatus for laser quenching. The method utilizes a scanning galvanometer, and involves laser quenching via irradiation with intermittent, repeated scans, rather than a single scan as in the prior art. The method results in increased laser energy absorbed by the metal base and improved depth of thermal conduction, while avoiding melting at the metal surface, thus providing a significantly improved laser quenching process. The apparatus can include a laser, a control system, a light guiding system, a mechanical motion device and a galvanometer.