Functionalization of additively manufactured press hardening dies

This project investigates the manufacturing of press hardening tools through a novel combination of additive processes (direct energy deposition and selective laser melting) and ball burnishing of contact surfaces. The focus is on quantitatively analyzing interactions between processes to enable transferable design principles for complex geometries with locally varying properties such as hardness and thickness. Special attention is given to the influence of surface texturing on heat transfer and pressure distribution, as well as the role of internal cooling channels and heat-accumulating pockets in thermal history and structural integrity. Additive manufacturing restrictions, such as minimum cooling channel sizes in laser powder cladding compared to selective laser melting, are also considered. The project aims to exploit the advantages of both processes for resource-efficient tool production. Findings will be integrated into a converging model that links component properties with manufacturing requirements, forming the basis for tool-side realization of selective press hardening.

Dardaei Joghan, H., Hölker-Jäger, R., Komodromos, A., Tekkaya, A.E., 2023. Hybrid additive manufacturing of forming tools. Automotive innovation 6, 311–323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42154-023-00239-y

Komodromos, A., Kolpak, F., Tekkaya, A.E., 2022. Manufacturing of integrated cooling channels by directed energy deposition for hot stamping tools with ball burnished surfaces. BHM Berg- und Hüttenmännische Monatshefte 167, 428–434. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00501-022-01264-w

Komodromos, A., Grodotzki, J., Kolpak, F., Erman Tekkaya, A., 2024, Characterization of Tool Surface Properties Generated by Directed Energy Deposition and Subsequent Ball Burnishing. Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering 146, https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4063736