Repair, reinforce, reuse Laser material deposition: Longer service life for moulds and tools

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Fraunhofer-Institut für Lasertechnik

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Die-casting moulds are costly, highly stressed assets — and unexpected tool failure can quickly disrupt production. Fraunhofer ILT is showing how laser material deposition, EHLA and AI-assisted repair processes can extend mould life, reduce downtime and make toolmaking more resource-efficient.

Manufacturing and maintaining die-casting tools professionally is crucial to the foundry industry: As one of the most expensive assets, these tools play a decisive role in determining quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Easily costing hundreds of thousands of euros, complex moulds and inserts must be able to function over many years without interruption. They must also withstand extreme stress: In die casting, for example, the mould materials are exposed to temperatures of up to 700 °C, while the tools are subjected to mechanical forces of several hundred kilonewtons. Added to these are abrasive stresses on the tool surface and chemical attack by alloying elements in the casting materials. Thermal stresses and material fatigue lead to cracking, erosion, and abrasive wear. Even when the moulds are designed optimally and manufactured carefully, their wear is an unavoidable factor that eventually means tools have to be replaced. If this occurs unexpectedly, it results in significant downstream costs.

Manufacturing and maintaining die-casting tools professionally is crucial to the foundry industry: As one of the most expensive assets, these tools play a decisive role in determining quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Easily costing hundreds of thousands of euros, complex moulds and inserts must be able to function over many years without interruption. They must also withstand extreme stress: In die casting, for example, the mould materials are exposed to temperatures of up to 700 °C, while the tools are subjected to mechanical forces of several hundred kilonewtons. Added to these are abrasive stresses on the tool surface and chemical attack by alloying elements in the casting materials. Thermal stresses and material fatigue lead to cracking, erosion, and abrasive wear. Even when the moulds are designed optimally and manufactured carefully, their wear is an unavoidable factor that eventually means tools have to be replaced. If this occurs unexpectedly, it results in significant downstream costs.