Additive Manufacturing of Tool Steels

The public funded project “AddSteel” aims to develop functionally adapted steel materials for additive manufacturing (AM). Based on the AM process laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), holistic chain, including alloy design, atomization, AM, and postheat treatment, is considered achieve this objective. Tool steels are usually characterized by higher carbon content limited weldability, leading processability LPBF. To extend these limitations, different approaches tool investigated: high-carbon steels, effects of lower martensite start temperature investigated using 1.2842 as an example. A low seems be advantageous crack-free processing with In order avoid a high hardness level after rapid cooling, use hot work 0.2 wt% investigated. Due chemical composition material, moderate preheating <300 °C required. addition, very scanning speeds possible improved shielding gas flow. Finally, experience along chain standard used modification 1.2344. heat treatment