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BIA-Brukerstyrt innovasjonsarena

HAMET - Hybro Additive Manufacturing of Extrusion Tools

Alternative title: Additive maufacturing of high performance extrusion tools for improved capability, sustainability and profitability in Al extrusions

Awarded: NOK 12.5 mill.

Project Manager:

Project Number:

321541

Project Period:

2021 - 2024

Funding received from:

Die technology is one key element of the extrusion technology. This project aims to develop and implement innovative extrusion die design solutions and manufacturing technologies to enable disruptive die designs and to contribute to Hydro target on profitability and sustainability. This project initiative is in-line with Hydro's internal climate strategy to cut 30% of CO2 footprint by the year 2030 through 'greener sourcing', 'greener production' and 'greener products'. The project will develop and optimize a metal Additive Manufacturing process route for high quality and cost effective manufacturing of advanced Extrusion Tools in hot work tool steel, to increase extrusion capability and productivity while leveraging the opportunities that additive manufacturing opens in terms of sustainability. This project will investigate different manufacturing routes for extrusion tools produced partly by AM technology and it will identify the ones showing the most potential in terms of material properties, dimension accuracy and costa long the whole value chain. The Design for AM (DfAM) concept and practice will be utilized for advanced and sustainable die design. The industrial partner Conoptica AS will provide and further develop their advanced optical measurement technology to ensure the dimensional accuracy. In the first phase of the project we have identified possible process route improvements increasing printing efficiency up to 50%, while maintaining material properties and quality. With proper design and proper manufacturing steps, we believe that dies produced by the new process route will have similar service properties comparing to dies manufactured by conventional methods, and will be able to realize our intended business case. It needs to be particularly emphasized that, the high productivity and cost-effectiveness of the new process itself is an important goal of the project.

Die technology is one key element of the extrusion technology. This project aims to develop and implement innovative extrusion die design solutions and manufacturing technologies to enable disruptive die designs and to contribute to Hydro target on profitability and sustainability. This project initiative is in-line with Hydro's internal climate strategy to cut 30% of CO2 footprint by the year 2030 through 'greener sourcing', 'greener production' and 'greener products'. The project will develop and optimize a metal Additive Manufacturing process route for high quality and cost effective manufacturing of advanced Extrusion Tools in hot work tool steel, to increase extrusion capability and productivity while leveraging the opportunities that additive manufacturing opens in terms of sustainability. This project will investigate different manufacturing routes for extrusion tools produced partly by the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology and it will identify the ones showing the most potential in terms of material properties, dimension accuracy and costa long the whle value chain. The Design for AM (DfAM) concept and practice will be utilized for advanced and sustainable die design. The tracking & exchange of essential information, for example positioning, will be enabled by advanced optical measurement which will be developed by the industrial partner Conoptica AS. With proper design and proper manufacturing steps, we believe that dies produced by the new process route will have similar service properties comparing to dies manufactured by conventional methods, and will be able to realize our intended business case. It needs to be particularly emphasized that, the high productivity and cost-effectiveness of the new process itself is an important goal of the project.

Funding scheme:

BIA-Brukerstyrt innovasjonsarena