Kyekyere, EOnyono, SOOlakanmi, EOPrasad, RVSBotes, APityana, Sisa LSkhosane, Besabakhe S2025-12-052025-12-052025-050268-37681433-3015https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-025-15725-2http://hdl.handle.net/10204/14505Due to its several advantages, laser cladding has been used to enhance the surface properties of parts subjected to severe loading conditions. Despite its benefits, the performance and quality characteristics of the coatings produced depend highly on the complex relationship between the coating materials and the process variables. Hybrid reinforcements such as TiC and SiC in metal matrix composites can provide synergistic benefits for components used in extreme environments, like mining, by significantly enhancing wear resistance and mechanical properties. In this work, the effect and many-objective optimisation of the laser processing variables were carried out on TiC/SiC/16MnCr5 multi-track composite coating on A514 steel. By employing hybrid response surface modelling (RSM) and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm III (NSGA III), the effect of scanning speed (S), powder feed rate (F), and laser power (P) on coating aspect ratio, dilution, microhardness, and wear resistance were investigated and optimised. The influence of the process variables on aspect ratio, dilution, microhardness, and wear volume loss are in this order, respectively: S > P > F; S > F > P; P > F > S; and P > S > F. The interaction of the process parameters was significant. The wear resistance and microhardness were enhanced due to the partial dissolution of carbides in the matrix. Based on the NSGA III optimisation, the optimal process parameters identified were P = 1550 W, S = 500 mm/min, and F = 7 g/min. The validation experiment revealed a close agreement with the predicted results, with errors of less than 5% for all the objectives. The optimised coating’s microstructure consisted predominantly of columnar crystals with minor regions of equiaxed dendrites. Compared to the substrate, the optimised coating’s microhardness improved by 350%, while its compressive strength was enhanced by 41%.AbstractenLaser claddingTiCSiCOptimisationNSGA IIIRSMArticlen/a