The Lascoat project, a joint effort between nt‑SYSTEMLÖSUNGEN and the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials and Beam Technology (IWS) Dresden, addresses the growing demand for wear‑resistant tooling in the hot‑forming industry. By combining advanced fine‑carbide chemistry with laser cladding, the project delivers high‑performance, easily processable coatings that extend tool life and reduce production costs.

Technical Results
Fine‑grained carbide layers based on titanium carbide (TiC), molybdenum carbide (MoC) and vanadium carbide (VC) were engineered to replace conventional coarse WC or Cr₃C₂ coatings. The reduced grain size improves toughness and allows for subsequent machining, a critical advantage for complex tool geometries. Laser cladding was employed to deposit these layers directly onto tool steel substrates. The focused laser energy creates a narrow heat‑affected zone, preserving the bulk properties of the substrate while achieving a strong metallurgical bond that eliminates delamination issues common to other coating methods.
Microstructural analysis revealed a dense, columnar carbide network with minimal porosity. Hardness measurements of the cladded layers exceeded 2000 HV, a significant increase over the 1200–1400 HV typical of conventional coatings. Wear tests conducted under simulated hot‑forming conditions (contact temperatures up to 750 °C) demonstrated a reduction in flank wear by up to 40 % compared with uncoated tools. Thermal shock experiments, involving rapid temperature cycling between 200 °C and 1200 °C, showed that the laser‑clad coatings maintained integrity without cracking, confirming their suitability for high‑temperature operations.
Post‑cladding heat treatment further enhanced the coating’s performance. A controlled annealing cycle at 950 °C for 30 minutes reduced residual stresses and increased the carbide phase stability, resulting in an additional 5–10 % improvement in wear resistance. The combination of laser cladding and tailored heat treatment produced a coating that balances hardness, toughness, and processability.
Real‑world validation was performed on production tooling from Wüsthof and Hirschvogel. The laser‑clad coatings were applied to complex tool surfaces using a computer‑aided manufacturing (CAM) strategy that follows the tool’s contour. Subsequent machining of the coated tools was achieved with specialized hard‑metal tools featuring a proprietary surface coating, reducing machining time by 25 % and eliminating the need for manual repair welding.

Collaboration
nt‑SYSTEMLÖSUNGEN supplied the laser cladding equipment and process control expertise, while Fraunhofer IWS Dresden contributed material science research, microstructural characterization, and wear testing facilities. The partnership enabled rapid iteration of carbide formulations and cladding parameters, ensuring that the final coating met the stringent requirements of the hot‑forming sector. Both institutions coordinated the transfer of laboratory findings to industrial scale, demonstrating the coating’s performance on actual production tools and integrating the process into existing automated manufacturing lines.
In summary, the Lascoat project delivers a robust, high‑hardness carbide coating that can be laser‑clad onto hot‑forming tools with minimal substrate impact. The resulting tools exhibit superior wear resistance, thermal shock tolerance, and machinability, while the collaborative framework ensures seamless technology transfer from research to production.