Jun. 24, 2024
What is Hot Stamping Process?
Hot stamping, also known as hot forming or press hardening, is the technique of forming metal when it is extremely hot (above 900 degrees C) and then quenching (fast cooling) it in the die. The method transforms low-tensile-strength metal into steel with extremely high tensile strength (150 to 200 kilopounds per square inch) (KSI).
Body pillars, roof rails, rockers, bumpers, and door intrusion beams are just a few of the structural vehicle components that can be made by hot stamping. The hot stamping method ensures that these components are both sturdy enough to handle a heavy load and light enough to increase fuel efficiency.
HSS hot stamping technology, which combines classic hot forging and cold stamping technology, is a novel production technology that has emerged in recent years.
It&#;s a manufacturing method that combines high-temperature steel stamping with die forming and quenching. Hot Forming, Hot Stamping, Hot Press, Press Hardening, and Die Quenching are all terms for the same thing.
The procedure can also reduce the cost of producing a part, which is especially useful in the production of traditional rear frames and other components that require robust and light materials.
In the automotive industry, the manufacture uses this technology to make stronger, lighter components, which enhances vehicle fuel efficiency and safety. Manufacturers can use hot stamping to create relatively complex parts in a single step. A multi-component, near-net-shape item is created, which is stronger than a welded steel part. Hot stamping is an important procedure for the manufacture of automobiles because it reduces the weight and increases the rigidity of high-strength steel parts.
Why Hot Stamping is Needed?
On the surface, the hot-stamping method appears straightforward: heat a steel blank until it is red-hot, press it into a die cavity, and leave it there to cool for a few seconds. &#;High Tensile Strength&#; inspires images of a blacksmith welding a hot blank over an anvil with a sledgehammer and a quench bucket by his side &#; Modern hot stamping allows for the formation of relatively complex pieces in a single step die.&#; The end result is a complicated, near-net-shape part with yield strengths that are many times higher than those of mild steel.&#;
Consumers are constantly concerned about safety and fuel economy, even when fuel costs are quite low. In fact, according to a Consumer Reports poll, >50% of car owners expect their next vehicle to get greater fuel efficiency. According to a study, if a vehicle&#;s weight is lowered by 10%, its fuel efficiency can improve by 6 to 8%. Suppliers in the automotive industry have constantly sought ways to lower the weight of the vehicles they create in response to consumer demand for greater fuel mileage.
Cold-stamped AHSS parts have a tendency to bounce back, which is one of the challenges of stamping AHSS.
History of Hot Stamping in the Automotive Industry
Hot stamping was invented and patented by the Swedish company Plannja in , particularly for the production of saw blades and lawnmower blades. When they created a hardened boron steel component for their Saab in , Saab Automobile AB became the first in the automotive industry to use hot stamping. More automakers have moved to hot stamping in the decades since to reduce car weight and increase fuel efficiency.
Volvo Car Company conducted research into the use of hot stamping parts in one of its car models, and additional hot stamping parts have been employed in automobile body manufacture since . In , the overall quantity had surpassed 100 million.
How does Hot Stamping Process Work?
In the first stage of the press line, the press-hardenable material&#;boron steel or aluminized steel&#;is heated to over 900 degrees in an oven to an austenite temperature.
The material is promptly moved to a press, where the part is created while still hot. The part is then quenched by being held in a water-cooled die cavity for a few seconds at the bottom of the stroke, which causes the grain structure of the material to change from austenitic to martensitic.
Press and Tooling Needed for Hot Stamping Process
Limitations of Hot Stamping Process
Laser Trim: Because the part is too hard to cut using standard steel trimming dies once it has been press-hardened, the final trim must be done with a laser.
Reforming Can&#;t Be done: Because the material is hardened, hot stamping is a one-step process&#;in reality, numerous procedures, such as further draws or flanging, are not possible.
Slower Forming: The process of hot forming is slower than that of cold stamping. It takes roughly 15 to 20 seconds to go from one stroke to the next.
Material Cost: Boron steel is more expensive than low-carbon materials.
Material Availability: Only boron materials can be hot-stamped; galvanized or prepainted steel cannot be used in this method. Boron is the element that allows the material to transition from a regular to a martensite state when it cools.
Conclusion
The demand for high-strength steel (HSS) auto parts has risen in recent years as automobiles have become lighter. Many corporations and research institutes in the United States, Europe, Japan, and China have committed significant resources in the development of modern automobile HSS forming technology. Despite its high strength, HSS has significant drawbacks, including poor forming performance, unpredictable spring back, and the ability to shatter during the forming process. As a result, applying typical cold stamping technology to create complicated auto parts, where hot stamping technology is required, is problematic.
PS: What do you think about the benefits and challenges of using HSS. Share your view on the process in the comment section.
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Robotic arm 3D printing has a number of valuable advantages, including:
Robotic arm 3D printing has a number of complications and limitations, including:
Generally, there are robotic arm manufacturers who supply the robots and collaborate with 3D printing organizations. Then there are the 3D printing technology partners, who develop their specific approach to additive manufacturing, with the help of the robotic arm suppliers. Listed below are some of the different robotic arm 3D printing manufacturers:
ABB is a large, multinational corporation. The entity concerned with designing and supplying robotic arms is ABB Robotics. ABB not only supplies robots but also the popular RobotStudio® software, and collaborates with specialist organizations such as Massive Dimension to further 3D printing technology.
KUKA is a German automation and robotics company that is widely used for robotic arm 3D printers. It also specializes in collaborative robots to work alongside humans. KUKA has partnered with other 3D printing teams such as Orbital Composites, and their robots are used for multiple different 3D printing applications.
Comau is an Italian automation and robotics supplier. It is especially focused on integrating IoT and AI into the operation of its robotic arms. Third-party 3D printing companies such as CEAD and Continuous Composites use Comau robotic arms for manufacturing.
Hyperion originated in Helsinki, Finland, and is focused on the construction industry. The company has developed its own construction mixture for extrusion into 3D printed structures, which limits cement content and maximizes recycled waste material.
CEAD is based in Delft, Netherlands. It is unique in that it focuses on combining 3D printing and CNC milling capabilities into a single unit. CEAD&#;s AM Flexbot in particular is finding many applications as a single manufacturing station.
Germany&#;s Weber Additive is known for its DXR Series of robotic arm 3D printers. They use an extruder for additive manufacturing with polymers.
Orbital Composites has been a pioneer in the robotic arm 3D printing industry. Its Orbital S was the first industrial-scale robot 3D printer and has an impressive speed of 2 m/s.
Massive Dimension focuses on large-scale 3D printing and it provides turnkey robotic printing cells. Its technology focuses on polymer pellet extrusion.
The Pulsar&#; by Dyze Design is a large-scale pellet extrusion additive manufacturing system with the intent of managing a range of operating conditions. With a heat shield, water cooling circuit, and multiple nozzle sizes, the Pulsar is capable of printing with a range of different polymers.
MX3D from the Netherlands is widely known for 3D printing a steel pedestrian bridge, currently installed in Amsterdam. MX3D focuses on printing with metals using the WAAM technology, and it has gone so far as to develop its own dedicated software for this purpose.
Continuous Composites has shown success with its patented carbon fiber printing technology CF3D. The company has been contracted by NASA to produce components for use in space.
Branch Technology focuses on 3D printing structures, such as a fully 3D-printed pavilion in Nashville. The company works together with architects and designers to push the application of 3D printing for buildings.
Branch Technology focuses on 3D printing structures, such as a fully 3D-printed pavilion in Nashville. The company works together with architects and designers to push the application of 3D printing for buildings.
A robot arm for 3D printing works in a very similar way to a typical industrial robot arm, except that a printhead is fitted to the end of the arm. The robot arm has multiple joints, each one providing some freedom of movement, in total providing five- or six-axis control. The robot is then able to move, tilt, and position the printhead throughout a range of potential positions. In this way, the robot arm moves the printhead over a component in order to print multiple layers and contours.
Software for robot arm printing focuses on calculating the optimum path for the robot head to traverse in order to accurately print the model. Below are three popular options for software:
For more information, see our guide on Best 3D Printing Software.
3D printing robotic arms are expected to have a life span in the region of eight years. This is based on the current lifespan of industrial articulated robotic arms used across multiple industries. These robots can be in useful operation for as long as 20 years. However, their application in 3D printing is still fairly recent and under intense development, so these longer life spans are less likely. Also, although the robot may still be operating well after eight years, the 3D printing machinery mounted to the end of the robotic arm will likely not have such longevity. This is both due to their recent development and also because they may become irrelevant due to the fast pace of technological evolution.
No, typical articulated robotic arms are not able to print houses. Robotic arm 3D printers have limited print volume, set by the dimensions of the arm and the distance from the fixed base. Therefore robotic arm 3D printers are generally only capable of printing components, which can then be assembled into larger objects such as buildings. Large-scale 3D printers that are able to print houses are specialized versions of a gantry-style 3D printer, where a larger structure is erected to be able to cover a large enough print volume for a house. For more information, see our guide on 3D Printing in Construction.
Yes, a robotic arm does have a limited printable area. Most robotic arms have a stationary base and therefore have a reach around that base that is limited by the length of the arm. In 3D printing, that reach is in the region of 1.5 m. Some robotic arms have been mounted on rails&#;this adds an additional printable area in that direction. However, by nature, the printable area is still limited by the practical reach of the robotic arm.
Yes, robotic arms do depend on the 3D software for the quality of the final printed part. 3D printing at a large scale is incredibly complex, and the movement of the robotic arm must be carefully governed by the software. Depending on the material that is being printed with, and its characteristics of shrinkage with temperature and moisture, the software that governs the printing will need to be able to model that shrinkage. In addition, the software needs to accurately model the developing part as it is built, to ensure that the robotic arm does not collide with the build as it grows. Software that cannot accurately model the characteristics of the feed material as it solidifies will not provide a good final quality&#;regardless of the precision of movement that the robotic arm is capable of.
There are a number of differences between a robotic arm and a gantry system for 3D printing. The first difference is that a robotic arm is able to move in six axes, whereas a gantry system is only capable of three axes of movement. This also means that robotic arms are better suited to printing curved and spherical items, whereas gantry systems are better suited to cubic prints. However, gantry systems are able to print larger units than robotic arms. The general accuracy of gantry systems also tends to be better than that of robotic arms. Robotic arms have very good point accuracy (at a specific endpoint), but their accuracy along a path of travel is still being improved. For more information, see our guide on Robotic Arm vs Gantry System for 3D Printing.
This article presented the 3D printer robotic arm, explained what it is, and discussed its various applications. To learn more about 3D printer robotic arms, contact a Xometry representative.
Xometry provides a wide range of manufacturing capabilities, including 3D printing and other value-added services for all of your prototyping and production needs. Visit our website to learn more or to request a free, no-obligation quote.
The content appearing on this webpage is for informational purposes only. Xometry makes no representation or warranty of any kind, be it expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or validity of the information. Any performance parameters, geometric tolerances, specific design features, quality and types of materials, or processes should not be inferred to represent what will be delivered by third-party suppliers or manufacturers through Xometry&#;s network. Buyers seeking quotes for parts are responsible for defining the specific requirements for those parts. Please refer to our terms and conditions for more information.
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