Localized Laser Dispersing of Titanium-Based Particles for Improving the Tribological Performance of Hot Stamping Tools

Within the scope of this work, a new surface engineering technology named laser implantation has been investigated, in order to improve the tribological performance of hot stamping tools. This technique is based on manufacturing highly wear-resistant, separated, and elevated microfeatures by embedding hard ceramic particles into the tool surface via pulsed laser radiation. Hence, the topography and material properties of the tool are modified, which influences the thermal and tribological interactions at the blank-die interface. To verify these assumptions and to clarify the cause–effect relations, different titanium-based particles (TiB2, TiC, TiN) were laser-implanted and subsequently analyzed regarding to their geometrical shape and mechanical properties. Afterwards, quenching tests as well as tribological experiments were carried out by using titanium-diboride as the most promising implantation material for reducing the tribological load due to high hardness value of the generated implants. Compared to conventional tooling systems, the modified tool surfaces revealed a significantly higher wear resistance as well as reduced friction forces while offering the possibility to adjust the thermal interactions at the blank-die interface. Based on these results, a tailored tool surface modification can be pursued in future research work, in order to enhance the effectiveness of the hot stamping technology.