2025 年 72 巻 Supplement 号 p. S395-S401
This work emphasizes the evaluation of Binder Jet 3D Printed (BJT) M2 Tool Steel against the Wrought M2, Powder Metallurgy (PM) M2 and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) Maraging Steel 13Ni400 for Mould Application.
3D printed mold with conformal cooled (CC) channels is one of the solutions to enhance part quality and productivity and to minimize manufacturing cost compared to the molds with conventional cooling channels. LBPF process is used to manufacture CC molds using maraging steel family alloys. The limitation in hardness (52 – 56 HRC) of maraging steels demands new material with high hardness (> 60 HRC) to improve life of the CC molds. High speed steels (HSS) are the alternative options, but LBPF technology is not well suited for high-carbon alloys. BJT is capable of handling high-carbon alloys, additionally, it offers equiaxed grains with isotropic properties and no supports required during BJT printing. M2 High-Speed Steel is known for well-balanced red hardness, wear resistance, and toughness. It is used in tempered condition with a hardness range of 58-65 HRC.
The standard M2 chemistry is not good enough for high hardness (> 60 HRC) and wear resistance which is essential for long tool life. Availability of customized metal powders for high-performance through BJT is possible. M2 metal powder properties optimization (chemical composition, particle size, and shape) is done to achieve a better performance in the BJT process.
The study shows that on friction properties, BJT M2 & Maraging steel 13Ni400 properties are almost same. But in wear resistance, BJT M2 exhibits superior properties compared to Maraging steel 13Ni400, Wrought M2 and PM M2 steels.
Improved hardness from modified chemistry and fine grain size due to optimized sintering process helped in achieving high wear resistance properties in BJT M2 material. Thus, BJT AM process is capable of handling high-carbon alloys without any concerns.
The Particle size, shape and chemistry played important role in improving the performance of BJT components. High-performance conformal cooling molds resulted in superior product quality with improved productivity.
