Computational study of rapid direct metal laser sintering for compression mold manufacturing.

Compression mold tooling fabrication has been traditionally conducted via machining processes—for example, computerized numerical control machining, mill, or lathe operations. While subtractive manufacturing operations provide high-precision tooling, they have an extended lead time and generate material waste, which increases manufacturing costs. This paper analyzes direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) as a viable alternative to traditional compression mold manufacturing. DMLS is an additive manufacturing process that uses high-powered lasers to fuse metal powders in a layered approach to create high-precision metal components. Through layering materials, DMLS can produce complex geometries which can have features impossible to machine from traditional manufacturing methods. Additionally, DMLS uses less material for parts, reducing material costs and lead times. In this paper, DMLS manufactured mold was computationally studied against a traditional compression mold's thermal and pressure requirements. The DMLS mold was designed with a honeycomb structure to reduce material usage while maintaining structural integrity. Computational analysis showed that the production requirement, "maximum deflection of 0.001 inches," was achieved with the DMLS when pressures and temperatures were similar to those required for the tooling. In addition, DMLS-produced mold utilized 74% less material than a traditionally manufactured mold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]