In conventional laser cladding, an optics focused laser beam generates a melt pool via laser radiation on the surface of the component, powder or wire is fed into the melt pool via a nozzle and melts via a combination of melt pool temperature and laser radiation to add form and function. As the nozzle traverses the substrate, the heat source moves away and the deposited material solidifies and consolidates onto with the substrate with a zone of dilution material (300µm-1000µm deep) between the substrate and deposit. In the EHLA process, the powder is fed into the line of the focused laser beam above the substrate. This ensures that the deposited material is already molten before making contact with the substrate, on the substrate a very shallow melt pool is still formed, allowing the deposited material to cool and solidify in contact with the underlying material, reducing the amount of heat reaching the component below and the depth of the dilution and heat effects. This small dilution forms the capability for producing much thinner coatings (20-300µm) that achieve desired chemistry within 5-10µm. This also forms the core of the high traverse speeds achievable with EHLA.