Desktop Metal
Desktop Metal has qualified D2 tool steel for the Studio System 2 metal 3D printing platform.
It is the latest in a number of material qualification announcements Desktop Metal has made this year, with the D2 tool steel among those qualified for the Production System, a 316L stainless steel material qualified for the Shop System and Ti64 qualified for the Studio System 2 machine.
The D2 tool steel material is a versatile high-carbon, high-chromium air-hardening tool steel that boasts high hardness and compressive strength after heat treatment. In its hardened condition, it offers high wear resistance, dimensional stability and corrosion resistance making it suitable for conformal cooling applications. The material is used for a range of cold work tools, such as gauges, burnishing tools, coining and sizing tool members, and blanking and forming dies, all of which need a combination of wear resistance and moderate toughness.
“D2 tool steel has traditional been a challenging and expensive material to work with. With this material now available on the Studio System 2, we’ve streamlined production of D2 parts to just two simple steps for improved affordability and accessibility,” commented Desktop Metal co-founder and CTO Jonah Myerberg. “We are excited to be able to offer our customers this new material with higher hardness after heat treatment than all of the other Studio System materials qualified to-date, unlocking new applications that require tooling material grade strength.”
“Egar Tool and Die is a rapidly growing manufacturing company for automotive stamping dies, production stampings and welded assemblies and we have been eagerly awaiting the launch of D2 for our two Studio Systems,” added Colin Kools, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Egar Tool and Die. “The release of this material will serve to push our tooling design to new heights and will give us the critical material properties and hardness needed for our die components.”
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