Dr Roth, how is the production time for new tools changing as a result of digitalization and new prototyping methods?

Of course, one major wish is to significantly reduce production time. If you look at the development processes for products over the last few decades, development times have been reduced further and further through the use of CAD/CAM technologies, simulation and, ultimately, with the help of additively manufactured prototypes. As a result, the duration of the toolmaking phase in the development process is becoming increasingly important. We need to become faster here without giving up our quality standards. A tool from additive manufacturing will not necessarily be faster to produce than a conventionally subtractive tool produced by milling, eroding, etc. Rather, the use of additive manufacturing promises an increase in product quality and a more stable, faster manufacturing process, for example through the use of conformal cooling. This means that the tool can create added value for the product and therefore for the factory customer.

The possibilities of digitalization are manifold and therefore logically not yet completely foreseeable in their effect. If you look at the process of manufacturing a tool, from the order to production planning, production itself and qualification through to documentation, there are certainly many opportunities to optimize processes through digitalization and thus ultimately save manufacturing time and perhaps perform fewer rounds of optimization.

This can start with recording the product geometry, for example using scanning technology as an alternative to CAD. The models can then be processed and used for tool production. It would also be conceivable to make the machines for tool production more "intelligent", for example by linking the quality characteristics achieved by the tool, such as surface quality and dimensional accuracy, to the production parameters. This comes very close to the vision of a "self-learning" machine tool. It is impossible to say exactly how far we still have to go. But we are certainly on the right track. Digitalization opens up many possibilities. It remains to be seen what is possible and how and where it will help us.

What influence does 3D printing have on tool and mold making?

The possibility of free shaping through 3D printing already allows the largely free design and layout of the cooling channel geometry, for example in injection molds. In order for this advantage to have its full effect on component quality, such as better surfaces and less warpage, as well as the hoped-for reduction in cycle times, the cooling channels must be designed in an evenly balanced manner and the requirements for the provision of cooling water must also be taken into account. Only then can the benefits be fully realized. This is already being practiced with die casting and injection moulding tools, even if widespread use is still a long way off. The application of extrusion tools has hardly been developed for this purpose.

Complete tools manufactured using 3D printing are still a dream of the future. Although there are already promising approaches here, for example for the production of foamed parts, as the development of the Fraunhofer IAPT with project partners shows.

In addition, research work, such as that carried out by the Ilmenau University of Technology's Production Engineering department and the Applied Plastics Technology Laboratory at Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences, is already demonstrating the possibility of using welding processes to directly build tools in larger dimensions. In the medium term, additive 3D printing will establish itself alongside subtractive manufacturing methods as an additional process in toolmaking.

What developments in prototyping do you expect in the future?

Rapid prototyping, i.e. the production of illustrative and test samples using additive manufacturing, is now an integral part of the development process. The desire here is, of course, to get as close as possible to the properties of the end product with the prototype. For plastic parts, there is therefore a desire to print with the material that will later be used for series production. The Arburg Freeformer or AIM3D are already available as initial systems and others will follow. In addition, established processes such as filament-based FDM printing are being continuously developed. This makes it possible to print fiber-reinforced components with high strength. New ideas for improving surface quality, such as adjusting the nozzle for printing or improved post-processing methods, are now coming onto the market. The printing of metals using the FDM process has now reached a good level of quality and offers an alternative to the powder-based SLM process. Overall, development in all areas is still very dynamic and new technologies and optimizations are emerging every year. In short, it remains exciting!