Additive Manufacturing (AM) has been associated with the future of manufacturing since its inception. Using AM to manufacture forming tools for Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS) and Press Hardened Steels (PHS) brings the opportunity for reduced tooling lead-time, reduced tooling cost, and optimization of the tools for weight, strength, and thermal management.
This AHSS Insights blog is an excerpt from a much more detailed article in the AHSS Application Guidelines, which is based on a project conducted in partnership between Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, LLC and The Ohio State University. This excerpt focuses on metal AM in traditional forming and hot stamping, while the full article surveys the use of polymer and metal AM for forming tools and discusses the benefits and challenges with respect to their use in manufacturing AHSS and PHS sheet metal components.