Application of Laser-Based Powder Bed Fusion for Direct Metal Tooling
2021 (English)In: Metals, ISSN 2075-4701, Vol. 11, no 3, article id 458Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The journey of production tools in cold working, hot working, and injection molding from rapid tooling to additive manufacturing (AM) by laser-based powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is described. The current machines and their configurations, tool steel powder materials and their properties, and the L-PBF process parameters for these materials are specified. Examples of production tools designed for and made by L-PBF are described. Efficient design, i.e., high tooling efficiency and performance in operation, should be the primary target in tool design. Topology and lattice structure optimization provide additional benefits. Using efficient design, L-PBF exhibits the greatest potential for tooling in hot working and injection molding. L-PBF yields high tooling costs, but competitive total costs in hot working and injection molding. Larger object sizes that can be made by L-PBF, a larger number of powder metals that are designed for different tooling applications, lower feedstock and L-PBF processing costs, further L-PBF productivity improvement, improved surface roughness through L-PBF, and secured quality are some of the targets for the research and development in the future. A system view, e.g., plants with a high degree of automation and eventually with cyber-physically controlled smart L-PBF inclusive manufacturing systems, is also of great significance.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Basel, Switzerland: MDPI, 2021. Vol. 11, no 3, article id 458
Keywords [en]
Rapid Tooling, Additive Manufacturing (AM), Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Production Tools, Cold Working, Hot Working, Injection Molding
National Category
Mechanical Engineering
Research subject
Mechanical Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-90487DOI: 10.3390/met11030458ISI: 000633875300001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85102119012OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-90487DiVA, id: diva2:1537694
Note
Belongs to the Metals Special Issue Metal Additive Manufacturing – State of the Art 2020
2021-03-162021-03-162022-09-01Bibliographically approved