Abstract
Cast mold has low wear-resistance comparing with other alloyed molds which result in lower production rate and high cost of products. Recently, various weld methods are being applied to increase the wear-resistance of molds and to extend mold life. Among them, nickel alloy weld process increases the hardness irrelevant to its machinability and creates very uniform structures. In addition, it causes better wear-resistance and reduces shrinkage defects. In this paper, we analyze the mold surface cracks welded by nickel alloy and propose the methods to improve the mold surface and its wear-resistance. It has been found that nickel alloy weld does not affect the inside crack of mold but has an influence on the surface crack seriously. Results show that the start and growth of fatigue cracks have been delayed about 3 times and reduced approximately 75%, respectively, and the mold surface cracks are decreased about 5.7 times.