Assessing additive and subtractive manufacturing technologies for the production of tools in the automotive industry

El Kashouty, Menna and Rennie, Allan and Ghazy, Mootaz (2015) Assessing additive and subtractive manufacturing technologies for the production of tools in the automotive industry. In: The 23rd CAPE Conference: Manufacturing Research and its Applications in the 21st Century, 2020-11-03 - 2020-11-04, Edinburgh University.

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Abstract

Tooling is an integral component to the traditional manufacturing cycle, despite the fact that it’s both costly and time-consuming to produce. Additive manufacturing (AM) is currently considered viable in certain instances, often competing against subtractive manufacturing in the delivery of tools, on time, with the required quality. This paper considers the use of AM and computer numerical control (CNC) machining to manufacture an insert for the tooling of a vehicle headlight adjuster clip. The proposed methodology for manufacturing the insert is composed of two manufacturing techniques: AM using selective laser melting (SLM) technology and CNC milling. The tool material used to manufacture the inserts in both cases is Stainless Steel 316L, whilst the injected parts are manufactured in polypropylene. Performance tests were applied to each of the two inserts in the context of material chemical composition, microstructure, hardness, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy. Furthermore, the injected parts produced were tested to determine dimensional accuracy, quality and functionality. Finally, it was concluded that both the SLM insert and CNC machined insert successfully produced functional parts. Moreover, the products from the SLM tool insert were more accurate dimensionally, but in terms of surface finish, the CNC product was perceived to be better quality.