Die-casting system with a refractory metal alloy surface

Abstract

A die-casting mold, includes a die insert including a mold surface with a refractory metal alloy layer and a method of manufacturing a die-casting mold, including machining a mold surface of a die insert such that the mold surface is a near net shape with respect to a workpiece and applying a refractory metal alloy layer onto the die insert.

1 . A die-casting mold, comprising:
 a die insert including a near net shape mold surface with a refractory metal alloy layer, wherein the refractory metal alloy layer is manufactured from a compositionally homogeneous powder mixture that is utilized in a laser cladding operation to produce the refractory metal alloy layer.   
     
     
         2 . The mold as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the mold surface is undersized with respect to a workpiece. 
     
     
         3 . The mold as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the refractory metal alloy layer is sized to form the workpiece. 
     
     
         4 . The mold as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the refractory metal alloy layer includes Anviloy®. 
     
     
         5 . The mold as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the refractory metal alloy layer includes Tungsten (W). 
     
     
         6 . The mold as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the refractory metal alloy layer is W90Ni4Mo4Fe2. 
     
     
         7 . The mold as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the refractory metal alloy layer is manufactured from a compositionally homogeneous powder mixture that is utilized in a laser cladding operation to produce the refractory metal alloy layer. 
     
     
         8 . The mold as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the compositionally homogeneous powder mixture includes tungsten (W) powder of less than about 44 microns particle size and other powders of less than about 74 microns particle size. 
     
     
         9 . The mold as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the other powders include Nickel (Ni), Molybdenum (Mo,) and Iron (Fe) powder. 
     
     
         10 . The mold as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the refractory metal alloy layer is about 0.010″ in thickness. 
     
     
         11 . The mold as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a die housing, the die insert at least partially receivable into the die housing. 
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing a die-casting mold, comprising:
 machining a mold surface of a die insert such that the mold surface is undersized with respect to a desired near net shape with respect to a workpiece;   applying a refractory metal alloy layer onto the die insert to form a near net shape wherein the refractory metal alloy layer is manufactured from a compositionally homogeneous powder mixture that is utilized in a laser cladding operation to produce the refractory metal alloy layer; and   performing a post-clad machining operation to finalize the near net shape mold surface with respect to the workpiece.   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the die insert is manufactured of steel. 
     
     
         14 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising ball milling a powder mixture to form the compositionally homogeneous powder mixture. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising ball milling a powder mixture including tungsten (W) powder of less than about 44 microns particle size, and other powders of less than about 74 microns particle size to form the compositionally homogeneous powder mixture. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the other powders include Nickel (Ni), Molybdenum (Mo,) and Iron (Fe) powder. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein a powder mixture forming the compositionally homogeneous powder mixture includes tungsten (W) powder of about 325M. 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the powder mixture includes other powders of about 200M. 
     
     
         21 . The mold as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a hardness is controlled by a fine microstructure in the refractory alloy layer. 
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising adjusting a rate of solidification via the laser cladding operation to control the hardness by control of a fine microstructure in the refractory alloy layer.