What are the commonly used metal 3D printing materials for mold manufacturing?

1. Die steel: the key to high hardness and wear resistance
Mold steel is the main material used in metal 3D printing for making molds. It is very robust, resistant to wear, and resistant to corrosion, which makes it the best choice for hot forming procedures like die-casting and injection molding. Using mold steel and 3D printing technology, it is possible to make complicated structures that are hard to make with traditional methods, such as:
A specific vehicle bumper mold uses a spiral flexible water channel constructed of 3D printed mold steel. This lowers the temperature difference between the core and the surface from 45 °C to 8 °C, cuts the cooling time by 30%, and lowers the product warpage rate from 8% to 0.5%.
Lightweight mold: A mold for consumer electronics has been made lighter by 42% while still being strong. This was done by optimizing the shape of the mold. At the same time, there is now more room for the cooling water circuit, and the injection molding cycle has been cut down by 25%.
Hot nozzle production that is integrated: Thermal expansion and contraction can readily cause gaps and cracks in traditional hot nozzles because they are made up of many sections. 3D printing mold steel may make hot nozzle molding work better overall, cut down on assembly mistakes, and make the quality of injection molded items more stable.
2. Titanium alloy: a double advance in being lightweight and resistant to corrosion
Because they are strong, light, and resistant to corrosion, titanium alloys are very useful in high-end mold making. Some of the most common uses for it are:
Aerospace mold: A mold for an aircraft engine blade is composed of 3D-printed titanium alloy, which has a lattice structure that makes it lightweight and strong while also making it more resistant to high temperatures up to 600 °C.
Medical implant molds: Titanium alloy is a great material for orthopedic implant molds since it is biocompatible. A personalized hip joint mold made with 3D printing has a porous structure that helps bones grow together and cuts the patient's recovery time by 40%.
Optimizing a complex flow channel: A new mold for an electric vehicle battery pack uses titanium alloy 3D printing technology. Inside the mold core, cross flow channels are designed to improve the flow efficiency of the coolant by 50% and the temperature uniformity of the battery pack by 20%.
3. Aluminum alloy: a good mix of lightness and heat conduction
Aluminum alloy is the best material for making molds because it is light, conducts heat well, and can be recycled. It strikes a good balance between cost and efficiency. It can be used in the following situations:
Automotive components mold: The mold for the cylinder head of a given engine is composed of aluminum alloy that was 3D printed. The biomimetic lattice structure makes it 28% lighter. At the same time, aluminum alloy's strong thermal conductivity is used to cut the cooling time by 15% and the cost of making one piece by 18%.
Electronic consumer goods mold: The center frame mold for a certain smartphone is made with aluminum alloy 3D printing and has walls that are only 0.3mm thick. The injection molding cycle is cut down from 45 seconds to 32 seconds, and the product yield goes up to 99.2% when combined with a flexible waterway.
Verification of rapid iteration: Aluminum alloy is a great material for making mold prototypes since it is cheap. A company that makes home appliances used 3D-printed aluminum alloy molds to test their products. This cut the time it took to manufacture the product from 8 weeks to 3 weeks and the cost of changing the design by 70%.
4. Nickel-based alloys: protectors of performance under harsh conditions
Nickel-based alloys are essential in the production of molds that can withstand high temperatures and pressures because they resist oxidation and corrosion. It is commonly used for:
Aircraft engine mold: A specific turbine blade mold is built of a nickel-based alloy that can handle temperatures up to 1200 ℃ and pressures up to 100MPa. It lasts three times longer than regular molds, and its weight has been cut down by 22% thanks to a topological optimization design.
Nuclear power main pump mold: Nickel-based alloys are the principal material for nuclear power equipment molds because they can withstand radiation. Using 3D printing, the impeller mold for a nuclear power main pump was made with complicated flow channels. This made cooling 40% more effective while still meeting the sealing needs in very harsh conditions.
A specific reaction kettle mold uses nickel-based alloy 3D printing technology to keep its structure stable in corrosive conditions. The maintenance cycle has been lengthened from every three months to every eighteen months, and the overall cost of the life cycle has gone down by 65%.
5. Copper alloy: making the most of heat conductivity
Copper alloys are great for making molds that need to quickly transfer heat since they are good at conducting heat and electricity. Some of the places where it can be used are:
A semiconductor packaging mold is formed of 3D printed copper alloy. The cooling efficiency is improved by 80% by micrometer-level channel design. This cuts the packaging cycle from 12 seconds to 5 seconds and boosts single-line production capacity by 140%.
Copper alloy has a high thermal conductivity, which means that it can swiftly spread welding heat and keep the workpiece from warping. By 3D printing copper alloy flow channels, a welding mold for a new energy vehicle battery module has raised the welding yield from 92% to 98.5%.
Micro heat exchanger mold: The heat dissipation module mold for a certain 5G base station uses copper alloy 3D printing technology to make a structure that is exactly right, with a wall thickness of 0.1mm and a channel diameter of 0.3mm. The effectiveness of heat dissipation is three times higher than that of typical designs.