Performance analysis of composite and steel deep drawing tools combination

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.