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RAPID TOOLING FOR PRODUCTION OF STAMPING DIES COMPONENTS

Ing. Juraj Hudk, CSc.
Technick univerzita v Koiciach
Strojncka fakulta
Katedra technolgi a materilov
Msiarska 74, 040 01 Koice
Juraj.Hudak@tuke.sk

[3]. Nowadays, development and improvement of

new process chains for manufacturing of large tools
is done at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and
Beam Technology. Different technologies for
cutting, assembling and joining of metal sheets by
the LOM principle are used with regard to reduce
the manufacturing time and costs [1].

Abstract
The contribution deals with modified
Rapid tooling method for production of complex
shapes of stamping dies, based on metal laminated
technology. The punch for production of gutter
corner of a rainwater system is presented as well as
its production based on laser cutting, assembling
and joining. Experiments for deep drawing of gutter
corner verification were done at last using hot deep
galvanized steel sheet DX56D+Z with thickness 0,7
mm.
Key words: Rapid Tooling, punch, laser cutting,
deep-drawing

INTRODUCTION
Quick geometrical changes of complex
components produced by stamping, based on
computer aid by 3D CAD and CAD/CAM software,
require new technologies for quick production of
stamping dies in order to verify its production by
physical modelling. These processes are based on
additive and subtractive technologies such as laser
cutting, laser welding and CNC milling [1].

Fig. 1 Laminated die component [1]

The metal sheet lamination technology was
developed in 80s for Rapid Tooling of large car
body parts [2]. An automated process for the
manufacturing of forming tools (see Fig. 1) was
developed by Toyota group and consists from a
special machining centre, Nd-YAG laser for cutting
and welding and an automated sheet metal loader.

Fig. 2 MELATO - process chain [4]

The MELATO (MEtal LAminated
TOoling) technology, developed by Fraunhofer
IWS together with partners from the industry,
allows producing deep drawing-, stamping- and
injection molding tools of various sheet metal
materials [4]. The process chains of MELATO
consist from following steps: [1]
1. Data Preparation 3D CAD data of the tool to
be manufactured are read into the CAD system.
The tool is then modified into contour
geometry and tool frame. Contour geometry
will be manufactured by metal sheet
lamination. Tool frame contained no complex
shaped surfaces and is easy to manufacture
conventionally. Then, tool insert is sliced into
single cross sections. After slicing, the single
cross sections are arranged on a metal sheet
panel.
2. Building process consists of Laser cutting
and Joining. Laser cutting is used to
manufacture cross sections free of burs to
ensure high accuracy in the slicing direction.
The joining method is the key to MELATO.
Several technologies might be considered, but
the usage of the tool determines the bonding
type [1].

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Table 1 Joining methods [1]

Application range
Metal sheet forming
Laser welding
tools, core boxes
Injection
molding
Diffusion welding
tools, pressure die
casting tools
Metal sheet forming
Bonding by adhesives
tools
Metal sheet forming
Screw, anchors
tools, core boxes
3.

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modes of creating transitional area at inside corner

as it is shown in Fig. 5: the first one uses Round
function with radius R38 along intersection line
(Fig. 5a) and the second one uses sweep function
(Fig. 5b) to create smooth transition between solids.

Post process - Laser Build-up welding and

Finishing. For reinforcement of heavily loaded
sections, e.g. draw edges of forming tools, laser
build-up welding is applied. This welding
technique is also considered for the connection
of lamellae. Finally, the tool is finished by
CNC milling, EDM, polishing and heat
treatment. [1,4]

METHODS OF EXPERIMENTS
The deep drawing process of rainwater
system gutter corner (see Fig. 3) was proposed and
verified within the experimental work in Laboratory
of forming processes. The pressing is a complicated
in shape from the view of deep drawing process due
to low inside radius R40 and disproportional
material plastic flow into drawing die at straight die
parts and inside radius. Thus, mentioned causes
excessive stretching by tensile radial and tangent
stresses at inside radius and cracks may occur when
oversize blankholding force is applied.

Fig. 4 Experimental drawing die

a)

Fig. 3 The gutter corner of rainwater system

The experimental drawing die was
designed using CAD/CAM system Pro/Engineer
Wildfire 5.0 see Fig. 4. The welded box
construction of upper (drawing die) and lower
(blankholder) die parts as well as punch were
created from thick steel sheets. Drawing die and
blankholder functional surfaces were cut by plasma.
The most complicated part of experimental
drawing die is punch. The shape of punch is created
with two perpendicularly intersected semi-cylinders
see Fig. 5. The critical area of punch as well as
drawing part is inside corner. There were tested two

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b)
Fig. 5 Shape of punch
a) insufficient inside corner created by radius R38
b) sufficient inside corner created by sweeping
The MELATO method was adopted to
produce punch for experiments and it has been
adjusted to punch shape, dimensions and required
accuracy.
The 3D punch model was sliced into single
cross sections, which is demonstrated in Fig 6. The
slice direction was taken perpendicular to punch
path in order to prevent any lamellas movement due

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to drawing forces. To prevent tangent movement of

lamellas pins were used to create mechanical join.
The parallel cross sections were created in
distance 5 mm. The last four cross sections were
created with distance 1 mm in order to refine steps
between slices. 17 cross sections were created total.

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To create smooth punch outer surface, two

component polyester filler Galvaplast 77 was
applied. After filler hardening the punch outer
surface was regrind to final shape as it is shown in
Fig. 9 in small sketch.

Fig. 9 The punch after bonding and grinding

Fig. 6 Slicing of punch to create cross sections
After slicing, the single cross sections were
arranged on a metal sheet panels. 13 cross sections
were arranged on metal sheet with thickness 5 mm
and last four cross sections were arranged on metal
sheet with thickness 1 mm see Fig. 7.

Experiments for deep drawing verification

were done using hot deep galvanized steel sheet
DX56D+Z with thickness 0,7 mm. Hydraulic press
Fritz Mller BZE100 and Polyethylene foil as a
lubricant had been used during experiments. The
blank shape and size is shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 7 Nesting of cross sections

Fig. 10 Blank size

Fig. 8 Stacked slices joined with pins

(compared to final shape)
The main body of punch (bottom) was cut
by plasma from thick steel sheet with thickness 20
mm. Sliced lamellas cut by laser were stacked to
main body and joined by pins see Fig. 8.

REACHED RESULTS
During experiments two punches were
tested with different modes of creating transitional
area at inside corner as it has been shown in Fig. 5.
When punch with transitional area created by
Round function with radius R38 along intersection
line (Fig. 5a) had been used wrinkles occur at inside
corner due to secondary loss of stability and metal
sheet was torn Fig. 10.
When punch with sweeped quartercylinder had been used there was no loss of stability
and no wrinkles occurred during deep drawing.
Fig. 11. During deep drawing forces were recorded

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from machine indicators: maximal drawing force

approx. 150 kN and maximal blankholding force
approx. 210 kN.

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The final drawn part - gutter corner of a

rainwater system - without loss of primary and
secondary stability is shown in Fig. 13 ad Fig. 14.

CONCLUSION

Fig. 11 Wrinkles at inside corner punch Fig. 5a

Fig. 12 No wrinkles at inside

corner punch Fig. 5b

Fig. 13 Final drawn part inside look

Fig. 14 Final drawn part outside look

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The contribution presents the rapid way to

create and manufacture complicated shape of punch
for deep drawing, based on modified MELATO
method. The difference is there was no CNC
machining needed to reach required punch shape
but flex grinder was used after polyester filler was
applied. The presented method is suitable for large
punch sizes and the main advantage lays in time
and cost reduction in preproduction development of
new components, when different production
method are tested and verified. Thus, laminated
tools can be fabricated and modified in a time a cost
effective manner.

References
[1] T. Himmer, A. Techel, S. Nowotny, E. Beyer,
"Recent developments in metal laminated
tooling by multiple laser processing", Rapid
Prototyping Journal, Vol. 9 Iss: 1, 2003, pp.24 29
[2] T. Himmer, T. Nakagawa, N. Mohri: Rapid
Die Manufacturing System, Proceedings of the
7th European Conference on Rapid Prototyping
and Manufacturing, 1998
[3] T. Nakagawa: Recent Developments in Auto
Body Panel Forming Technology, Annals of
the CIRP vol. 42/ 2/ 1993
[4] T. Himmer, A. Techel, S. Nowotny, E. Beyer,
Metal laminated tooling - a quick and flexible
tooling concept, Laser Materials Processing
Conference, San Francisco/Calif., 2004
The contribution had been worked out
with the support of grant projects VEGA
1/0824/12 and 1/0396/11.