Selective laser melting additive manufactured H13 tool steel for aluminum extrusion die component construction

Nowadays, H13 steel is commonly utilized in processes such as pressure die casting, extrusion, and drop forging as well as in tube and glass manufacturing, however with limited manufacturability. The current research focuses on the effects of crucial process-related additive manufacturing parameters on the mechanical behavior of H13 hot work tool steel manufactured by the selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing (AM) technique. The investigated parameters were the scan speed, the laser power, and their output volumetric energy density (VED) on the mechanical and morphological properties utilizing tensile and nanoindentation tests as well as scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results of this study revealed that it is possible to manufacture H13 steel parts with high mechanical performance using the SLM additive manufacturing technique. Specifically, the ultimate tensile strength reached a peak value at 1836 ± 48 MPa, while the yield tensile strength was found at 1468 ± 30 MPa. These parts are comparable to those made with conventional materials. A die part made using SLM was tested in the aluminum extrusion process on an 18 MN extrusion press producing acceptable quality extrudates and verifying its functionality and resilience under the high pressure and temperature of the extrusion process.