Invention Reference Number
Description
Mold and die tooling can benefit from additive manufacturing, as AM allows the ability to manufacture structures comprised of multi-materials with various composition grading. Current tooling must perform with the materials and thermal properties that are limited by its current manufacturing methods. The technology gives more flexibility to optimize that cooling process. Copper has excellent thermal properties, about ten times higher than many common tool steels, and this technology provides the precise placement of copper into a multi-material structure to improve heat transfer characteristics of such tool steels. With its high thermal conductivity properties, creating functionally graded materials of just 5-10 percent copper composition could drastically improve cooling rates. This is beneficial as cutting the cooling rates of the manufacturing cycle time by just 50 percent could double the production output. This technology is novel in its ability to place the material selectively and strategically to tailor the thermal performance of the mold. Copper may be directly manufactured into the cooling channels of the tool or placed at precise locations around the tool as needed for performance, rather than being incorporated into the mold in a secondary process with access to limited locations across the mold. This allows manipulation of material in desired locations to achieve optimal thermal performance.
Applications and Industries
- Manufacturing
- Tool/die makers
- Mold-based suppliers
- Any industry manufacturing metal parts, i.e., automotive or aerospace, that uses a mold to produce parts
Benefits
- Significantly reduces manufacturing cycle time
- Excellent thermal properties decrease time needed for cooling
- Increases production output and reduces costs
Contact
To learn more about this technology, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call 865-574-1051.
