Mantle announces the availability of 420 stainless steel for use with TrueShape 3D printing technology for precision tooling. When used with the company's P-200 printer, no hardware changes or additional components are required. 420 Stainless Steel will be available in late 2024 and will only require over-the-air software updates.
TrueShape 3D technology incorporates fused deposition modeling and CNC machining to enable rapid tool creation with reduced or, in some cases, no post-processing. The process begins by adding layers of metal paste. Periodic drying and CNC steps form the shape of the tool, which is finally transferred to an oven for sintering.
Injection molded inserts printed in Mantle's 420 stainless steel.Source: Mantle
Mantle said the pursuit of new materials was driven by customer demand. TrueShape 3D was launched in P20 steel, but later the harder H13 steel was added. The new material offers similar hardness to HE H13 and adds superior corrosion resistance.
The availability of stainless steel is expected to be beneficial for customers in corrosive environments such as manufacturing sites in tropical climates. “Especially in the medical field, a lot of molding happens in warm environments like Florida, Puerto Rico, and Central America. And to be able to withstand those environments, you often have to use non-corrosive You need steel,” says Paul DiLaura, Mantle’s chief commercial officer.
Corrosion is a particular concern with conformal cooling channels made possible by additive manufacturing techniques. This cooling channel provides more efficient cooling than straight channels, allowing for faster cycle times. “While conformal cooling may lead to better results from a molding standpoint, there is a greater risk and awareness that those channels will corrode or become clogged as they rust over time.” DiLaura says. “The use of stainless steel for conformal cooling is therefore recognized as a real advantage.”
At NPE 2024, Mantle will display examples of steel tools printed with Trueshape 3D technology, along with the metal paste from which the process begins, and will conduct rigorous comparisons. from a mixture of metal particles, adhesive, and solvent; It turns the consistency of toothpaste into dense, heavy stainless steel tools that can be used in industrial injection molding.
