Design, analysis and principle demonstration of incrementally manufactured, modular lightweight die casting tools

传统压铸工具的大多数部件仍然是按订单设计的，并使用减法工艺制造。然而，现行的生产原则有其固有的弊端。例如，在生产过程中，高工具重量和高资源投入导致工具热惰性。由于刀具质量大，仍然需要大量的能量来控制刀具温度。考虑到压铸工具通常的刀具重量和不同金属生成工艺的特点应用率，很明显，目前增材制造工艺的广泛应用存在狭窄的限制。在保留传统的减法制造工艺的同时，增加使用模块化或标准化设计以降低制造成本的前瞻性方法已经得到证明。然而，如果工具设计基于轻量化设计原则，铸造工具可以大大减少材料投入和制造成本，并改善能量性能。因此，只有单独的工具腔本身是由切削加工产生的。其他工具组件可以模块化和可重用，例如，通过具有成员和节点的支撑结构，可以通过增量制造方法适应几何要求。因此，这里提出的项目的总体目标是实现轻量级设计的方法和模块化轻量级压铸工具的增量制造。除了与生产相关的优势，这种类型的轻量级工具可以克服传统压铸工具的许多技术限制。因此，可以实现铸造厂更低的能源需求、改进的刀具温度控制和更有针对性的组件性能影响、更短的设置时间、更好的可管理性、更低的机械系统应力或更高的系统动力学。压铸工具的轻量化设计与高度模块化相结合，也促进了增材制造工艺的增加使用。与现有的增材制造工艺相反，它的目标是在批量生产的半成品基础上，按照增材制造的基本原理逐步生产零部件。这也增加了生产的灵活性，缩短了生产时间，降低了压铸工具制造的材料和能源要求。然而，这种方法的实现提出了一些关于可实现的工具和组件属性的科学问题。目前，只有非常有限的知识存在，关于设计，尺寸，制造和使用轻量化压铸工具。增量生产方法的应用被视为克服这些生产限制的一种方法。

Most of the components for conventional die casting tools are still designed to order and are manufactured using subtractive processes. However, the current production principle has its inherent disadvantages. For example, high tool weights and a high resource input during production lead to thermally inert tools. Due to the high tool mass, a considerable amount of energy is still required for tool temperature control. Taking into account the usual tool weights of die casting tools and the characteristic application rates of different metallic generative processes, it also becomes obvious that there are currently narrow limits to the widespread application of additive manufacturing processes. Prospective approaches to the increased use of a modular or standardized design to reduce manufacturing costs while retaining conventional, subtractive manufacturing processes have already been demonstrated. However, casting tools could be made available with considerably reduced material input and manufacturing costs as well as improved energetic properties if the tool design would be based on lightweight design principles. As a result, only the individual tool cavity itself is produced by cutting processes. The other tool components can be modular and reusable, e.g. by means of supporting structures with members and nodes, which can be adapted to the geometric requirements by incremental manufacturing methods. The overall objective of the project proposed here is therefore to achieve a methodology for lightweight design and the incremental manufacturing of modular lightweight die-casting tools. In addition to production-related advantages, this type of lightweight tool could overcome numerous technological restrictions of conventional die casting tools. Hence, lower energy requirements in foundries, improved tool temperature control and a more targeted influence on component properties, shorter set-up times, better manageability and lower mechanical system stress or higher system dynamics can be achieved. The lightweight design of die casting tools in conjunction with a high degree of modularity also promotes the increased use of additive manufacturing processes. Contrary to existing additive manufacturing processes, it also aims to produce components step by step according to additive basic principles based on mass-produced semi-finished products. This also enables increased flexibility in production, shorter production times and lower material and energy requirements for the fabrication of die casting tools. However, the implementation of this approach raises a number of scientific questions with regard to the achievable tool and component properties. At present, only very limited knowledge exists with regard to the design, dimensioning, manufacturing and use of lightweight die casting tools. The application of incremental production methods is seen as an approach to overcoming these production restrictions.