Is It Possible To Make Carbide Mold by 3DP Technology?

3DP technology is what we often call 3D printing technology. 3DP process is similar to SLS process. It is made of powder material, such as ceramic powder and metal powder.
 
3DP printer image
 
The difference is that the material powder is not connected by sintering, instead, the cross section of the component is printed on the material powder by means of an adhesive (such as silica gel) through the nozzle. 
 
Tungsten or tungsten carbide is the main raw material of the traditional carbide mold and mixed with the other metal made by sintering mold, after mapping, processing of various shapes on the mold base, processing various shapes based on mold, eventually made into a mold. The traditional way of producing mold has been in existence for decades, and has trained a group of CAD and PROE masters. But we also know that there is always a problem, that is, the processing process is tedious, products with complex layout often need extremely careful, no matter which link is wrong, and the result is irreversible mold waste.
 
So, can 3DP technology make carbide molds? From literature reports, it is understood that 3DP adhesive injection printing technology is in the process of producing mold, the powder particles containing tungsten or tungsten carbide are laminated and printed together with bond material containing cobalt, nickel, iron or other metals. The adhesive material is not only an adhesive between the powder layers, the product also has good mechanical properties and can produce fully compact components.
 
3DP technology is a disruptive innovation in the mold industry, in the next five or more years, 3DP technology will bring about enormous changes in the mold industry. However, the compactness and durability of carbide mold can not reach the effect of traditional methods, but human wisdom is infinite, and the solution of these defects may be only a matter of time.
 

 

 

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