Selective laser hardening of injection mould components on multi-axis machining centers

摘要

This research describes the selective laser hardening of components used in the injection moulding industry. The use of fiber-reinforced plastics is accompanied by increased wear in injection moulding tooling compared to conventional plastics. Selective hardening of locations in contact with these plastics prolongs the lifetime of these components. This paper focuses on selective laser hardening of two mould materials, stavax ESR and Sverker 21. Experiments are performed on a laser setup integrated into a multi-axis machining platform, allowing fabrication and hardening within one single clamping. Initial laser hardening tests were performed on ground samples consisting of the component base material. Microhardness measurements showed a maximum achieved hardness of 614HV for Stavax ESR and of 810HV for Sverker 21 after laser hardening. Following initial experiments, three injection moulding components, shredder blades, injection nozzles, and textured moulds are laser hardened.