Additive manufacturing of cutting tools from tungsten carbide-cobalt.
Motivation
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process (AM) for the production of complex shaped metallic components. The machining of metallic and non-metallic materials is largely based on high-performance tools made of tungsten carbide-cobalt-carbide (WC-Co). Up to now, only a few basic investigations have been carried out on the production of WC-Co tools using LPBF. However, the LPBF process offers attractive advantages in terms of near-net-shape production and geometrical freedom. In particular, the possible realization of internal, contour-adapted cooling channels allows higher cutting speeds and thus a significant increase in the productivity of the machining process.
Objectives
- Development of an LPBF process for the production of crack-free and dense (≥ 99 %) WC-Co components with a cobalt content between 8 and 12 wt% and a carbide grain size of 0.8 - 1.3 μm (Class: Fine).
- Determination of the influence of the individual LPBF process parameters on the material structure and the resulting strength parameters to identify the best possible process control.
- Investigation of the performance with regard to the cutting durability and the fracture behaviour of additive manufactured WC-Co carbide tools and investigation of the wear mechanisms of additive produced tools in comparison to conventional tools.
Project content
- Process development LPBF for WC-Co
- Characterization of the microstructure and mechanical properties
- Post-treatment of the tools
- Cutting tests
Funding
Grant Number 20805 N