Improved tooling with additive manufacturing systems
Challenge:
Traditionally, manufacturing faceplates has been slow and costly, with wastage, long lead times and geometry and machining issues.
Solution:
Titomic’s technologies and capabilities allow tooling manufacturers to produce near-net shape faceplates with Invar36 and titanium.
Invar 36 offers low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) for manufacturing large, high-tolerance composite parts – with shorter lead times and the ability to repair and resurface existing tooling.
Titanium has good thermal stability for small to medium sized parts, and is lighter, stronger and stiffing. It also uses less material for thinner tooling, and offers corrosion resistance.
Results:
- Improved lead times
- Reduced welding and assembly times
- Near-net shape with minimal machining and post-production
- Titanium becomes viable for stronger, thinner, lighter and corrosion-resistant tooling
- Multi-material solutions for better heat distribution
- Embedded sensors, heating and cooling
Case study
With Titomic’s cold spray additive manufacturing process using green titanium powder, the Swinburne-CSIRO National Industry 4.0 Testlab produced a lighter, stronger and cost-competitive composite mould tool in just a few days.
