AdTopoTool

Conventional manufacturing processes and experience-based designs are still used in many toolmaking companies today. This is usually accompanied by geometric restrictions and a very high tool weight. As a result, production times and component quality often suffer from inadequate temperature management.

In the AdTopoTool research project, the project partners Fraunhofer IWU, Werkzeugbau Winkelmühle GmbH and H+E Produktentwicklung GmbH were able to prove that additively manufactured tools with topology- and cooling channel-optimized geometries offer considerable added value - despite high demands on the thermomechanical load capacity and temperature management of the tool.

The result: a weight reduction of the injection mold by approx. 34 percent and of the press hardening tool segment by approx. 28 percent, without compromising the requirements for dimensional stability.

More efficient temperature control systems can reduce the cycle times of injection-molded components by 60 percent and the heat treatment of press-hardened components by almost half. In some cases, the quality and dimensional accuracy of the end products can even be improved.

EWAM (Efficient Toolmaking with Additive Manufacturing)

A lack of experience with additive manufacturing, a complex design of the temperature control systems and incomplete design guidelines have so far stood in the way of the widespread use of this technology.

To overcome such hurdles, Fraunhofer IWU is developing a script-based, automatic temperature control design in the current EWAM (Efficient Toolmaking with Additive Manufacturing) project. Less manual effort and a shorter development time for the tool should lead to a significant increase in efficiency.

Automatic temperature control channel design for additively manufactured tools

The aim is to develop a software plug-in for the automatic design of additive temperature control systems, taking into account the specifications of additive manufacturing and the results of thermal, fluidic and load analyses. The plug-in will be created in a universal programming language and will be compatible with various 3D CAD programs so that it can be distributed quickly after its market launch.

The use of the laser powder bed fusion process, an optimized tool geometry that takes actual process loads into account and intelligent tool cooling create real added value for medium-sized tool manufacturers. The Fraunhofer IWU is committed to setting new standards for quickly implementable, resource-efficient and high-quality tool solutions.

Source: Fraunhofer IWU