Scenario 1: Mold Laser Hardening
Greenstone-Tech applies advanced laser technology to strengthen mold surfaces, increase hardness, and extend mold service life.
Automotive body panel molds are typically manufactured from alloy cast iron. Due to the characteristics of alloy cast iron, overall heat treatment is not suitable. Traditional flame hardening typically achieves 40–50 HRC surface hardness. With laser hardening, using offline programming, teach programming, and expert programming, complex three-dimensional toolpaths can be planned and executed for parts with intricate geometry. Mold surface hardness can reach 55–65 HRC, with an effective hardened depth of 0.5–0.7 mm. This significantly enhances wear resistance, effectively mitigates part scratching issues, and reduces online mold repair rates to below 4%. Large-area grinding of deep-drawing molds is no longer required; only simple maintenance is needed.
In deep-drawing molds, the heat-affected area is large. Conventional flame or induction hardening often causes substantial thermal deformation, compromising mold accuracy and requiring additional steps. Hardness stability is difficult to maintain and lead times are long. Laser hardening minimizes deformation—often eliminating it entirely—meeting quality requirements without additional processes.
For insert surfaces in automotive molds, such as trim die cutting edges and forming die working surfaces, conventional flame hardening causes severe deformation. Inserts then require corrective machining after hardening, extending production time and making hardness control difficult. Forming inserts are especially challenging due to large hardened surface areas, which are prone to tempering issues leading to failing hardness.
Studies and practical applications at Greenstone-Tech have demonstrated that laser hardening effectively controls insert deformation and hardness accuracy. Inserts treated with laser hardening exhibit stable hardness, minimal deformation, and can be hardened after finish machining. This significantly improves processing efficiency and reduces manufacturing cost.
