Performance analysis of composite and steel deep drawing tools combination.

Gaudenzi, Giulia; Giorleo, Luca; Ceretti, Elisabetta

This article investigates the application of polymer tools produced via fused filament fabrication technology and compares it with traditional steel tools in a deep drawing process of 1 mm steel sheets. Different tool setups—combining polymer/metal punches with polymer/metal forming dies—were tested to measure their performance in the production of AISI 304 cups as a function of cup circularity, drawing depth, and geometry accuracy. A FEM analysis was added to investigate the tool's mechanical behaviour. Results identified different combinations of polymer and metal tools as a function of the above-described parameters; by comparing the data, no optimum solution could be found, but it was possible to identify different best options, depending on the user's target.

METALWORK; RAPID tooling; ENGINEERING drawings; TOOL-steel; STEEL analysis

International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 2025, Vol 136, Issue 2, p581

0268-3768

Academic Journal

10.1007/s00170-024-14875-z