Properties of Tool Steels Printed by Directed Energy Deposition Process on S45C Base Metal

We present a fundamental study on the development of trimming dies at room temperature for the hot-stamping process using directed energy deposition. Specimens of G and F materials were fabricated by machining 3D-printed blocks. The hardness of G-layered specimens was slightly higher than that of F-layered specimens, reaching approximately 700 HV at the surface. The G-layered specimens consisted of columnar and equiaxed dendrites, whereas the F-layered specimens mainly consisted of equiaxed dendrites. Spherical pores were observed inside the layered cross section, whereas relatively large irregular-shaped cavities were observed in layered boundaries. The tensile strengths of the G-layered and F-layered specimens were approximately 1800 and 1650 MPa, respectively. During bonding strength tests on an area bonded with S45C base metal, a fracture occurred in one case because of the lack of fusion at the boundary, and the F-layered specimens showed a lower strength than the G-layered ones. During wear tests on a quenched 1.5 GPa-grade aluminized steel plate, the F-layered specimens showed lower wear loss. However, the G-layered specimens showed better wear resistance during wear tests on a 1.5 GPa-grade electrogalvanized steel plate. These findings serve as fundamental data for additive manufacturing processes using tool steels of high-strength materials with high melting points.

Growth of Equiaxed Dendrite in Al-20wt.%Cu Alloy by Synchrotron X-Ray Radiography

Synchrotron X-ray radiography was used to in-situ study the growth of equiaxed dendrite during the solidification of Al-20 wt.% Cu alloy. Equiaxed dendrites with two different morphologies were formed in nearly isothermal conditions. The image processing was used to improve the image quality. The time evolution of the primary dendrite arm length and the corresponding growth rates were analyzed. The experimental results indicated that the solute interaction was the main factor to influence the equiaxed dendrites growth. Besides, the rotation and floating of the dendrites were also observed during the early growth phase.