Mejora de propiedades tribológicas mediante aporte por láser de recubrimientos de AISI H13 y WC

Abstract

In the last few years, the requirements that manufacturers

demand in terms of material specifications have risen

considerably. The highly competitive industry leads to the

development of new materials by means of alternative

manufacturing processes, such as Metal Matrix Composites

(MMC) manufactured by Laser Metal Deposition (LMD). Coatings

made from metal matrix composites reinforced with ceramic

particles are of particular interest in the manufacturing of dies

and molds for hot stamping processes, as they allow improving

the wear behavior even when working in aggressive environments.

This permits increasing the lifespan of these high-added-value

components. To analyze this kind of coating, monolayer specimens

constituted by hot work tool steel (AISI H13) and tungsten

carbide (WC) have been deposited. The high hardness of the WC

may lead to a considerable improvement in the tribological and

mechanical properties. In order to characterize and quantify

this enhancement, wear tests have been performed in coatings

manufactured with different concentrations of WC. In addition,

the metallurgical integrity of the deposited clads has been

analyzed. Lastly, the hardness of the clads has been measured. It

has been concluded that this kind of multi-material coatings leads

to an increase of the wear resistance and hardness. However, it

is necessary to control the dilution of the reinforcing phase in

the matrix, and to use adequate post-processing methods since,

given the high hardness of the clads, the tendency to crack also

increases.