Rotary tillage blades, as critical components of soil tillage machinery, encounter significant challenges in mountainous agricultural operations, where excessive wear and high energy consumption are persistent issues. To address these problems, this study proposes an integrated strategy combining structural optimization with surface reinforcement. A blade–soil interaction model based on Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) was developed to optimize blade geometry, reducing power consumption to 0.106 kW with a simulation error of only 2.83%. In parallel, Fe60–WC composite coatings containing 30%, 35%, and 40% WC were fabricated on 65Mn substrates using laser cladding. Microstructural analysis revealed significant grain refinement with increasing WC content, while tribological tests showed that the 35% WC coating blades exhibited superior wear resistance, with a mass loss of 1.9 mg, and a relatively low friction coefficient of 0.362. Field trials further confirmed that the blades resulted in a 45.75% reduction in average wear, after structural enhancement and the application of the optimized coating, with a measured loss of 2.259 g compared to the uncoated blades. These findings demonstrate the synergistic benefits of structural optimization and advanced surface engineering, providing an effective pathway to improve the durability and efficiency of rotary tillage blades in demanding field conditions.

For structural metallic materials, performance enhancement has traditionally relied on complex adjustments of chemical composition and heat treatment processes. However, these approaches are complex, costly, and lack sustainability. Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has unique cooling characteristics, providing it with a distinctive approach. In this study, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology was used to prepare high-performance 1080 carbon steel. The study selected three groups of process parameters (VED = 92.59 J/mm³) with high density (relative density > 98%) and achieved excellent mechanical properties: the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and elongation (EL) reach 1745.4 MPa, 1455.13 MPa, and 6.77% respectively. The effects of process parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. It is found all specimens exhibited a characteristic martensitic needle-like grain morphology without significant crystallographic texture. The microstructure displayed substantial changes as VED varied, with martensite content progressively decreasing with increasing VED. Correspondingly, as the VED increases from 92.59 J/mm³ to 225.69 J/mm³, the UTS, YS, and EL decrease by 39.0%, 36.1%, and 3.4%, respectively. This work demonstrates the feasibility of achieving high-performance metallic components by precisely controlling additive manufacturing process parameters to manipulate the microstructure of simple alloys, thereby eliminating the need for complex alloying or post-processing heat treatments.

High manganese steel jaw plates serve as the core structural components of jaw crushers. Subjected to continuous impact and compressive loads during crushing service, they demand superior wear resistance and impact fatigue performance. In this work, laser cladding was employed to fabricate CeO₂-reinforced Fe60 composite coatings on ZGMn13 high manganese steel jaw plate substrate. The surface modification effects were systematically investigated in terms of macroscopic structure analysis, hardness property testing, and wear resistance evaluation. Composite coatings with CeO₂ mass fractions of 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3% were prepared, and their microstructures and morphologies were characterized by visual inspection, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The test results indicate that the dendritic structures became more pronounced with increasing CeO₂ content; however, fracture marks occurred when the CeO₂ content was below 1%. A Rockwell hardness tester was adopted to measure coating hardness under a load stress of 382.44 MPa, and the results demonstrate that coating hardness presents a positive correlation with CeO₂ doping content. Furthermore, pin-on-disc friction and wear tests were conducted on the prepared coatings. The optimized CeO₂-modified coating achieved a minimum wear rate of 0.0033 mm³/(N·m), which is 78.6% lower than that of the untreated substrate. This work provides a valuable reference for improving the surface hardness and wear resistance of jaw plates and promotes the engineering application of laser cladding technology in wear-resistant component strengthening.