Comparing 3D Printed Parts to Parts Produced by High Pressure Die Casting

Formnext Germany

Share this Article

Additive manufacturing has, in many studies, been compared with traditional manufacturing techniques like, for example, injection molding. In a study entitled “The Use of Selective Laser Melting to Increase the Performance of AlSi9Cu3Fe Alloy,” a group of researchers compared parts made with 3D printing to parts made with die casting, using the same material.

Aluminum and its alloys have an excellent strength to weight ratio, and AlSi9CuFe is frequently used in the automotive industry because of its mechanical strength. It is easy to machine and is usually processed by high pressure die casting, but the method has its imperfections.

“High-pressure die casting (HPDC) enables high production volumes of parts showing high surface quality,” the researchers state. “Compared to gravity casting, even more complex shapes are possible to be produced, but still, the current demands for porous structures or very small dimensions are hardly attainable. Additionally, the HPDC process is limited by the formation of defects, such as oxide films, shrinkage cavities, air porosity, etc., which cannot be eliminated. Such defects then weaken the castings structurally and exclude them for use in the field of safety applications.”

Therefore, the researchers conducted a study in which SLM 3D printing and high pressure die casting were used to produce parts using the same alloy. They then compared the properties of the parts. Porosity was examined in the samples, and transmission electron microscopy was used to observe nanoscale microstructural features. Uniaxial tensile tests were conducted, as were compressive tests and hardness measurement. Fracture surfaces were studied using scanning electron microscopy.

TEM bright field images obtained in the area of (a) a melt pool boundary and (b) a melt pool interior.

“Compared to as-cast microstructure consisting of α-Al dendrites and lamellar Al-Si eutectics, SLM yields in hierarchically heterogeneous microstructure,” the researchers conclude. “Grains are arranged in melt pools representing material melted and solidified by single laser tracks in the direction of the highest temperature gradient. They exhibit very fine cellular substructure in which the cells of α-Al solid solution oversaturated in Si and Cu are separated by eutectic network formed by cubic particles of pure Si, here 30–70 nm in size.”

The 3D printed parts showed a very fine microstructure, and overall, the parts produced by additive manufacturing exhibited greater strength than those produced by die casting, as well as greater plasticity. This is notable because it shows that 3D printing can overcome the strength-ductility tradeoff that is present in so many metals and alloys. The researchers conclude that 3D printing can improve the performance of the alloy compared to high pressure die casting, as well as produce more complex and lightweight structures, opening up new applications.

Comparison between (a) as-cast (HPDC) and (b) SLM microstructures.

This study is another example of how 3D printing can improve upon traditional manufacturing techniques. 3D printing is often hailed for its ability to speed up production, save money, and produce more complex and lightweight components than traditional manufacturing, but the researchers’ study shows that the very microstructure of 3D printed materials can be superior to that of the same materials fabricated in a traditional way.

Authors of the paper include Michaela Fousova, Drahomir Dvorsky, Marek Vronka, Dalibor Vojtech and Pavel Lejcek.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.



Share this Article


Recent News

Lawmakers Reignite Effort to Block Online Sharing of 3D Printed Gun Files

Juggerbot 3D and ORNL Collaborate on 3D Printing of Thermosets and Thermoplastics



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

3D Printing News Briefs, June 11, 2025: Sustainability, Automotive Tooling, & More

We’re starting with sustainability news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as EOS has strengthened its commitment on climate responsibility, and Zestep is making 3D printing filament out of eyewear...

3D Printing 50 Polymer Stand-In Parts for Tokamaks at the PPPL & Elytt Energy

Of all the world’s things, a tokamak is one of the hardest, most complex, expensive and exacting ones to make. These fusion energy devices make plasma, and use magnets to...

3D Printing News Briefs, May 17, 2025: Color-Changing Materials, Humanoid Robot, & More

We’re covering research innovations in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs! First, Penn Engineering developed 3D printed materials that change color under stress, and UC Berkeley researchers created an open source,...

Featured

Firehawk Aerospace Partners with JuggerBot 3D, Gets $1.25M from AFWERX for 3D Printed Propellants

Texas-based Firehawk Aerospace, an advanced energetic materials firm that works with aerospace and defense applications, announced a strategic partnership with JuggerBot 3D, an Ohio-based large-format 3D printer manufacturer. Together, the...