A Novel Approach to Resilience in Cold-Work Applications: Experimental Comparison of the As-Built Mechanical Properties of High-Alloy 1.2709, High-Alloy 1.4125 and Low-Alloy 1.7228 Produced Using PFB-LB/M

Additive manufacturing (AM), and in particular the process of powder bed-based fusion of metals using a laser beam (PBF-LB/M), is becoming established in industries with highest demands on quality. One such industrial sector is the production of tools and associated components. Common materials that are processed for this purpose and are commercially available are the cold work steel 1.2709 or the hot work steel 1.2344. Other materials preferred by toolmakers, such as the cold work steel 1.2379, are currently not available in powder form or are unsuitable for the PBF-LB/M process due to their poor weldability. In addition, tool steels are often highly alloyed and contain conflict-related raw materials, which means that their availability and accessibility must be classified as critical. In order to be able to procure materials reliably in the future, this paper introduces a method, including a key performance indicator, for comparing tool steels. The materials chemical composition can be assessed in terms of resilience and also applicability for punching tools. The low-alloyed steel 1.7228 was identified as a promising and resilient material. The necessary powder material was specially manufactured, since this material is currently not commercially available and has never been processed yet in this form. Furthermore, the process parameters for this material were developed and the achievable mechanical properties in the as-built condition were compared with the commercially available tooling materials 1.2709 and 1.4125. The results show that a material substitution is possible in application-specific cases, thus enabling the sustainable use of scarce raw materials.