Experiences using rapid prototyping techniques to manufacture sheet metal forming tools

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Experiences using rapid prototyping techniques to manufacture sheet metal forming tools

Mueller, D.H. / Mueller, H.

The automotive industry uses Rapid Prototyping Techniques (RPT) like stereolithography or selective laser sintering to produce plastic parts for prototypes faster and cheaper compared to the techniques used up to now. As a consequence of this process there is a need to have sheet metal parts also available in earlier product phases. This paper deals with Rapid Prototyping (RP) process chains to manufacture sheet metal forming tools. It presents a systematic of the approaches, describes them and presents the results of case studies for selected process chains. Current additive processes are powerful to manufacture small, detailed parts. The processes or the machine concepts now available are not suitable to manufacture sheet metal forming tools on a large basis economically. But for selected applications the use of RPT already brings profit today. This is valid for layer milling, which is mature for industrial application. It can be adjusted to the production of sheet metal forming tools with low costs and development risk. It is also valid for geometrically complex small parts for which shell tools out of reinforced plastic or metal are a possibility. The authors have the opinion that laminated tooling should be developed to the state for industrial application and the development of new RPT should be pressed ahead which are suitable to make large parts with material properties which are at least equal to those of the low melting point alloys.