Surface roughness and coefficients of friction of 3D-printed clamp tools made from selective laser melting

The practical use of 3D-printed metal tools in production industries requires accurate characterization of tool behaviour. In metal forming industries, the efficacy of clamp tools largely depends on surface roughness and friction behaviour of tool surfaces. This research is aimed to investigate surface roughness and friction behaviour of 3D-printed clamp tools made from selective laser melting process. Gas atomized powdered tool steel-X3NiCoTi1895 (EN 1.2709) is used to 3D print clamp tools. A mechanical setup determines the friction coefficients of 3D-printed samples under practical loading conditions. The effect of raster angle on surface roughness of 3D-printed clamp tools is determined. These findings serve as the basis of a broader project in which metal-3D-printed forming tools are developed and tested in actual production setups.