Valve seat for automotive cylinder head

A valve seat formed within an aluminum engine component, comprising:

• a valve seat surface machined within the aluminum engine component;
• a layer of copper alloy material deposited onto the valve seat surface of the aluminum engine component;
• and
• a layer of copper alloy/tool steel carbide material deposited onto the layer of copper alloy material, wherein the layer of copper alloy/tool steel carbide material has an outer surface that is machined to a final valve seat profile, and has a chemical composition including more than zero and up to about 10% tool steel.

A valve seat formed within an aluminum engine component, comprising:

• a valve seat surface machined within the aluminum engine component;
• a layer of copper alloy material laser clad onto the valve seat surface of the aluminum engine component, the layer of copper alloy material having a thickness of less than 2.0 millimeters;
• and
• a layer of copper alloy/tool steel carbide material laser clad onto the layer of copper alloy material, the layer of copper alloy/tool steel carbide material having an average thickness of less than 2.0 millimeters, wherein the layer of copper alloy/tool steel carbide material has an outer surface that is machined to a final valve seat profile, and has a chemical composition including more than zero percent and up to about ten percent tool steel.