Speaker
Description
Hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing parts made from hybrid powder-wrought tool steel using laser powder bed fusion have proven to be a cost-effective strategy for injection moulding tool applications. This article reports the development of a hybrid powder-wrought hardened stainless alloy steel, with balanced strength and hardness, for such applications. In this study, the mechanical behaviour of parts made from CX steel powder and wrought 17-4 PH steel under various heat-treatment conditions was first investigated individually. It was found that the tensile strength and hardness of both materials are identical at an ageing temperature of 460 °C. Subsequently, CX steel powder was additively fused onto wrought 17-4 PH steel to form hybrid alloy stainless steel parts. Microstructure analysis revealed defect-free, fully dense, homogenous powder-substrate fusion across the bonded interfacial region. Tensile tests confirmed that all fractures occurred well away from the bonded interface. The as-built sample exhibited a fairly balanced hardness (39/41 HRC) with an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 1100 MPa. In comparison, the sample that underwent the ageing treatment (460 °C/1 h) had a balanced hardness of 48 HRC and UTS of 1420 MPa. This hybrid alloy steel could be an ideal material for manufacturing high-performance injection moulding tools, as it possesses a high UTS and identical hardness.
| Speaker Country | New Zealand |
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| Would you like to publish your paper in the special issue of BHM "Berg- und Hüttenmännische Monatshefte" | Yes |