May 2026 Volume 8

FORGING RESEARCH

Key Scientific Findings Some of the key scientific findings of the study were as follows: (1) Powder size and shape strongly affect cladding density and quality, (2) Laser input energy is a critical parameter in optimizing cladding, (3) Reheating from multiple laser scanning cycles reduced porosity deeper in the coating, (4) Laser cladding generated complex face-centered cubic (FCC) and body centered tetragonal (BCT) phase microstructures that strengthen the surface under stress, and (5) Surface FCC phases support strain hardening during forging. Conclusions Based on these findings, the UNT team was able to achieve the best balance of adhesion, density, hardness, and ultimately wear-resistance to extend die life. The impact of the work shows that laser-cladded CCA coatings can successfully extend forging die life, reducing replacement costs, material waste, and repair frequency. Beyond coating H13 steels, the CCAs developed in this study could also benefit other high-wear and high-temperature tooling applications. Furthermore, this study leads to development of a more rapid testing method for evaluating die coatings, which will be featured in a follow-up article. The Bottom Line Laser-applied complex concentrated alloy coatings are a practical, industry-ready solution for making forging dies last longer, work harder, and cost less over time.

Acknowledgements This research was sponsored by the Defense Logistics Agency Information Operations, J68, Research & Development, Ft. Belvoir, VA, and by DLA-Troop Support, Philadelphia, PA. The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Michael Wall and Justin Ohl for initial help on the project. The authors would also like to acknowledge Shelden Dowden and Zane Hughes for their assistance, and Dekland Barnum, Prabir Chaudhury, Benjamin Clinton, Charles Edens, Dean Hutchins, and Michelle Truitt for useful discussions. The authors recognize project management from Advanced Technology International (ATI) and industry partners Queen City Forging and Finkl Steel. Acknowledgement is also due to the infrastructure and support of the Center for Agile & Adaptive and Additive Manufacturing (CAAAM) funded through the State of Texas Appropriation (190405-105-805008-220). The authors acknowledge the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Processes Institute (AMMPI) at the University of North Texas for support. This work was performed in part at the University of North Texas's Materials Research Facility (MRF): A shared research facility for multi dimensional fabrication and characterization.

Figure 1: Graphical image highlighting the differences between conventional alloys (red triangle), high entropy alloys (blue pentagon), and complex concentrated alloys (green pentagon), where each letter corresponds to an element. The dashed circles show the compositional space which is typically explored for the given alloy system. Adapted from Mishra et al. 6 .

Figure 2: Schematic image of the laser cladding process, which involves two stages. Stage 1 involves surface and slurry preparation, and stage 2 involves deposition, evaluation, and validation of the laser clad die.

Figure 3: (a) Photograph of the Fe₀.₃₀Co₀.₃₀Ni₀.₂₀Cr₀.₁₀Ti₀.₀₆Al₀.₀₄ CCA die head after 21,000 plus parts with Queen City Forging with (b) magnified image (red box) and further magnification of (c) compressive stress region (blue box), (d) shear stress region (green box), and (e) compressive stress region (purple box). Adapted from Kim 1 .

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