Laser based Additive Manufacturing (AM) of Tungsten Carbide Cobalt (WC-Co) hard metal has been investigated over the past years in order to overcome the limitations in geometric freedom and laborious post-processing (e.g., machining and finishing) [1]. However, laser based Additive Manufacturing of WC-Co still presents difficulties deriving from uncontrollable temperatures and thus full melting of the individual components during processing. Laser melted WC-Co microstructures show severe grain growth and inhomogeneous size distribution of the carbide phase as well as formation of the brittle and thus undesirable η-phase (W3Co3C). These microstructural flaws lead to a significant decrease of hardness and strength [1], [2] in comparison to conventionally manufactured hard metals. Currently two paths are followed to overcome these difficulties: process development and material development.

By applying an internally developed high-throughput method for efficient analyses of different material compositions under the influence of high-intensity laser radiation, several additives to conventionally available WC-Co hard metal powders were investigated regarding microstructure formation and resulting hardness. The results of the high-throughput experiments are further transferred to a proper Additive Manufacturing process and the comparability of microstructure and properties of both methods is discussed.