The 14th Global Conference on Materials Science and Engineering
(CMSE 2025)

Abstract: Additive manufacturing, an alternative to conventional manufacturing processes, is often considered a disruptive production method. However, it can also improve conventional manufacturing by providing a better way to produce and repair/remanufacture tools and enhance operational performance. Part manufacturers use tooling in their part production. Tooling made by additive manufacturing can, thus, incorporate additive manufacturing into the production chain. Production tools, dies, and molds are of great significance for the industrialization of new products and the operation of manufacturing plants. They play a key role in the manufacturing chain and highly affect the Time-To-Market, costs, lead time, operational efficiency, and quality. Tooling is highly competency-driven and determines the global competitiveness of the industry. In this invited speech:
• metal additive manufacturing of production tools/dies/molds by Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) and Directed Energy Deposition with metal powder (DED-p) is addressed,
• the impact of these methods on the industrialization of new products and the operation of manufacturing plants is discussed,
• the influence of these methods on the Time-To-Market, costs, lead time, and quality is illustrated industrially,
• the properties of the metal powders used to make tools/dies/molds are discussed, and their impact on L-PBF and DED-p processes is illustrated,
• surface functionalization through DED-p is addressed and illustrated for two different applications in which friction coefficient and wear are of top priority, respectively, and
• topology optimization and its impact on tool/die/mold properties, performance, printing time, costs, and lead time are depicted.
The investigation shows that the material properties of tools/dies/molds made by L-PBF and DED-p are as good as those of the tools/dies/molds made by conventional methods in conventional tool/die/mold materials. L-PBF is currently appropriate for creating new tools/dies/molds, while DED-p benefits tool/die maintenance, repair, remanufacture, and surface functionalization. L-PBF is, furthermore, beneficial for hot-working tools/dies and injection molds. Additional research, development, and advanced engineering are required for cold-working tools/dies to make additive manufacturing competitive.

Keywords: Metal additive manufacturing, tools, dies, molds, laser-based powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, metal powder, topology optimization, surface functionalization, properties, performance, operational efficiency

Biography: Prof. Dr. Nader Asnafi has a long academic and industrial experience in Sweden as, inter alia, Research Group Leader at the Swedish Institute for Metals Research, Associate Professor at Luleå University of Technology, Senior Manager of Research and Advanced Engineering at Volvo Cars, Vice President – R&D at Uddeholms AB, Vice President at VA Automotive, and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Örebro University. Currently, he is also Global Business and Technology Officer at Zhejiang Chuangge Technology Co. Ltd. in China. Metal additive manufacturing, fuel cell materials and processes, electrically driven vehicles, and future wire harness design and manufacturing are some of his current R&D focuses.