Speaker
Description
The process-inherent advantages of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) have been exploited for many different applications nowadays, including the production of highly stressed inserts for the Al die-casting industry. However, similar to conventional production routes, performance and lifetime of AM-produced tools are still significantly determined by the specific material properties. Here, high-performance tool steels as the BÖHLER W360 AMPO places highest demands with tight specifications on the L-PBF process in order to exploit its full potential. Against this background, extensive developments have been carried out in order to fully understand the specific process and material interactions for the BÖHLER W360 AMPO, processed on advanced L-PBF Systems. Therefore, this study provides an overview about extensive characterizations of the microstructure, process-induced defects and the obtained mechanical properties. Furthermore, it is demonstrated why this challenging production route is still worthwhile from a holistic point of view and which possible advantages can be derived for further applications.