Study of the viability of manufacturing the cooling channels of hot stamping dies via Laser Metal Deposition

The cooling channels required for ensuring the proper cooling of a metallic sheet in the hot stamping process, are nowadays manufacturing via drilling, which is technologically the only viable alternative. Therefore, the shape of the cooling channels is determined by this manufacturing method, and hence, it is impossible for them to follow the curved surface of the stamping die. Consequently, a non-homogeneous cooling of the hot sheet is obtained, what leads to variable properties between different regions. In order to cope with this limitation, it is decided to manufacture the cooling channels via Laser Metal deposition and in the present research work the viability of this process is studied. KEyWORdS: Laser Metal deposition, LMd, hot stamping, cooling channels. Ekaia, ale berezia 2019, 71-84 https://doi.org/10.1387/ekaia.19861