South Korean research team has developed metal die manufacturing method that increases strength of material by stacking different metals through 3D metallic printing and lowers manufacturing cost. It is expected that this method will contribute in increasing production yield of variety of root manufacturing industries that utilize metal die.
Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (Director Lee Sung-il) announced on the 3rd that a research team led by Professor Sung Ji-hyeon of Daekyung Headquarters’ Extreme Manufacturing Technology Group has developed a technology that can manufacture hybrid metal die with low cost and high functions by utilizing ‘DMT (Direct Metal Tooling) 3D metallic printing’ technology.
DMT 3D metallic printing technology makes ‘molten pool’ on surface of metal through high-energy laser beam and stacks different metallic powders by having this molten pool as a point of connection. It can combine two metals with different properties very strongly.
This technology can be applied to ‘blanking die’ that cuts metallic steel plate. Although level of use of high-strength steel plates is increasing for cars and aircrafts, manufacturing cost only rises if metal dies are made by using only high-strength metals.
This hybrid metal die manufacturing process that utilizes DMT 3D metallic printing can make blanking die with inexpensive metals and can greatly reduce manufacturing cost since it stacks high-strength metals on a part of steel plate that is cut.

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<Picture of equipment that can combine metals with different properties through DMT 3D metallic printing technology. This technology finds a point of connection by increasing temperature of surface of metal through laser beam.>

Research team is going to develop a method to stack ‘special die steel with high strength (M2)’ and is planning to make metal die that can cut steel plates with strength of GPa (unit of strength). At the same time, it is also going to work on creating database by securing metals that can be used for hybrid metal die.
First of all, research team worked on improving ‘hot stamping’ metal dies. Hot stamping is a process that increases strength by forming steel plate in temperature of more than 950°C and rapidly cooling it. Main goal of this process is to make metal die with high thermal conductivity. Research team secured high functionality by stacking stellite (alloy that has cobalt as its main component) alloy, which has high thermal conductivity, on surface of a hot stamping metal die.
Hybrid metal die technology can also be used to repair and remodel damaged metal dies. It is possible to add different metal to an area that is damaged or replace old metal die with new one.
“We have developed a technology that can make new metal dies by stacking two different metals through 3D printing.” said Professor Sung Ji-hyeon. “If this method is applied to South Korea’s metal die industries, it will lead great development in entire root manufacturing industries.”
Staff Reporter Kim, Youngjoon | kyj85@etnews.com