Reducing automotive tooling costs and downtime with strategic WAAM Application
In the automotive industry, tools endure incredible stress, making wear and breakage inevitable. Gorenje Orodjarna, a specialist in progressive and transfer tools for sheet metal forming, produces around 200,000 sheet metal parts annually for 7 year programs using tooling that includes critical cutting inserts. These inserts shape steel with high strength and are vital for production uptime, but their maintenance represents a significant operational challenge.
With WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing), RAMLAB and Groenje Orodjarna proved it’s possible to cut maintenance time, reduce material use, and lower environmental impact while keeping tool performance consistent.
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Challenge
Sheet metal forming tools are exposed to extreme forces and high temperatures at their cutting edges. Traditionally, these inserts are made entirely from costly, specialized tool steels to endure these harsh conditions. However, this method leads to several operational challenges:
- High maintenance costs: Replacing or significantly repairing worn or damaged inserts made from solid tool steel is expensive due to high material costs and extensive machining required.
- Extended production downtime: Tool repair or replacement slows down production lines. Minimizing this downtime is crucial.
- Limited cost and material optimization: Using premium tool steel for the entire insert volume is often materially excessive, as only the working surfaces require those properties.
Solution
Instead of relying solely on expensive tool steel, the strategy for the repair of this part focused on an intelligent material combination: First Gorenje Orodjarna produced insert bases from GGG70 (a robust cast iron) to provide structural support. In the second step we used MaxQ Repair to precisely apply a layer of durable tool steel only onto the critical cutting edges and wear surfaces identified by Gorenje Orodjarna. This approach not only enabled cost-effective repairs but also contributed to a more efficient production, by minimizing tool downtime and simplifying repairs through faster and targeted reapplication of the WAAM layer to worn areas.
Result
This strategic WAAM application delivered improvements in performance, cost, and sustainability. The results:
- 61% overall cost reduction across the production and end-of-life phases.
- 48% material savings
- 43%to 45% CO2 equivalent reduction: Lowered the environmental impact significantly compared to conventional manufacturing, which is worse than WAAM in 15 out of 18 impact categories using midpoint indicators with ReCiPe2016.
- Maintained functional performance: The hybrid WAAM insert matched the functionality requirements of the traditional solid tool steel counterpart.
- Reduction of maintenance lead time and costs
Conclusion
RAMLAB’s WAAM technology offers a powerful solution for extending the life and reducing the total cost of ownership for automotive tooling subject to significant wear. By combining cost-effective base materials with precisely deposited durable surfaces, WAAM facilitates faster and cheaper repairs and lowers costs without sacrificing performance.
Ready to reduce downtime and tooling costs? Let’s talk. Contact us to see how MaxQ Repair can optimize your repair and tooling strategy.
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About MaxQ Repair
MaxQ Repair is an all-in-one automated solution for the repair of metal parts, such as rails, rotors, and dies, that are subject to wear in service.
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