Characterization of laser clad CPM-15V tool steel on pre-hardened H13 substrate

Laser cladding of high-performance material on cheap base material (or substrate) can not only extend tooling life but also reduce tooling cost. In this paper, high vanadium CPM 15V tool steel powder was deposited on pre-hardened H13 tool steel using Nd:YAG laser in order to improve the wear resistance of the base material. Post heat treatments were applied on the clad material to adjust its microstructures and mechanical properties. To gain a better understanding of laser clad CPM 15V material, x-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscope (OM) and scanning electronic microscope (SEM) along with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) were used to study the evolution of its microstructures and their potential impact on the mechanical performance of the clad.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye