Tool Steel and Stainless Steel for 3D Printing

Materials with flexible 3D printing applications

Going back two thousand years people were searching for cutting materials which were not only hard but also tough. Along with mass industrialisation at the beginning of the nineteenth century the development of steel and its alloys materialised into what we now know as tool steel and stainless steel.

These materials reach a high skin hardness when heat treated, with a low carbon content of only 0,5 – 1,5 %. Alloy constituents, when added can adjust the properties to an exact specification. Even corrosion resistant steels can be produced in the same way. These so called stainless steels are known for their low nitrogen and phosphor content of less than 0.025% and today these materials are widely used in the mould making industry. Through the SLM® Technology the processing and extended application of these steel materials has been developed even further.

 

Mechanical Data		1.4404 (316L)	1.2344 (H13)	1.2709
Tensile strength	Rm (MPa)	625 (±30)	1730 (±30)	1110 (±30)
Offset yield stress	Rp0.2(MPa)	525 (±30)	–	985 (±30)
Hardness		237 HV (±4)	54 HRC (±2)	51 HRC (±2)
Bar impact value	(J)	75 (±4)	–	–
Thermal conductivity	(W/mK)	15	25.6	15
Surface roughness	Rz X/Y (µm)	16 (±2)	13 (±2)	12 (±2)
Surface roughness	Rz Z (µm)	38 (±4)	34 (±4)	35 (±4)