Development and Demonstration of Advanced Tooling Alloys for Molds and Dies

This report summarizes research results in the project Development and Demonstration of Advanced Tooling Alloys for Molds and Dies. Molds, dies, and related tooling are used to manufacture most of the plastic and metal products we use every day. Conventional fabrication of molds and dies involves a multiplicity of machining, benching, and heat treatment unit operations. This approach is very expensive and time consuming. Rapid Solidification Process (RSP) Tooling is a spray-forming technology tailored for producing molds and dies. The approach combines rapid solidification processing and net-shape materials processing in a single step. An atomized spray of a tool-forming alloy, typically a tool steel, is deposited onto an easy-to-form tool pattern to replicate the pattern’s shape and surface features. By so doing, the approach eliminates many machining operations in conventional mold making, significantly reducing cost, lead time, and energy. Moreover, rapid solidification creates unique microstructural features by suppressing carbide precipitation.