5 November 2024
New Research on 3D-Printed Tool Materials Could Make the Automotive Industry More Sustainable
Gabriel Macêdo, a PhD student at Luleå University of Technology, has demonstrated that 3D-printed tool materials can perform just as well as traditional materials at high temperatures. This breakthrough could lead to significant changes in the automotive industry.
In his thesis "High Temperature Tribology of Additively Manufactured Tool Materials for Hot Stamping Applications", Gabriel Macêdo, PhD student in Machine Elements, has investigated how tool materials produced through additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, perform under high-temperature conditions. His research focuses on hot stamping of high-strength steel, a common process in the automotive industry for manufacturing safety and structural components.
"Our research shows that 3D-printed tool materials, especially those produced using selective laser melting, can replace traditional materials without losing performance, even at temperatures up to 700°C," says Gabriel Macêdo.
Wear Testing at High Temperatures
Hot stamping involves heating and forming steel, which puts significant stress on the tools used in the process. The AlSi coating commonly applied to the steel helps protect it, but it also presents major challenges for the tools due to friction and wear. In his research, Macêdo tested different 3D-printed materials and compared their wear resistance to that of conventionally manufactured tools.
The tests were conducted at temperatures up to 700 degrees, and the results showed that tool steel made using the 3D printing technique known as selective laser melting (SLM) performed almost identically to traditional steel tools.
"This is a major finding because we can now use 3D-printed tools without compromising durability," Macêdo explains.
Gabriel Macêdo at the time of the defense.
Future potential
A key discovery in the dissertation is that SLM-produced tool materials demonstrated the same wear resistance as conventional materials, with the added benefit that 3D-printed tools can have more complex shapes and integrated features like improved cooling. This opens up possibilities for more efficient and flexible solutions in industry.
Macêdo’s research also revealed that some materials produced using another 3D printing technique, laser metal deposition (LMD), performed differently in high-temperature tests but similarly in specific simulated hot stamping tests.
"The SLM technique looks very promising, but there are still open questions regarding the feasibility of LMD materials,” says Macêdo.
Contact
Gabriel Macêdo
- Doctoral student
- 0920-491296
- gabriel.macedo@associated.ltu.se
- Gabriel Macêdo
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