Additive Manufacturing of WC-Co Specimens with Internal Channels.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Traditional manufacturing relies on indexable inserts for material removal.
• Additive manufacturing enables novel insert designs and internal features like coolant channels.
• WC-Co (Tungsten Carbide-Cobalt) is a critical material in manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient additive manufacturing process for WC-Co specimens with internal coolant channels.
• To optimize microstructure and surface finish, particularly within the channels.
• To evaluate the impact of internal channel characteristics on coolant flow.

Main Methods:

• Development of process parameters for crack-free, low-porosity WC-Co microstructure.
• Focus on surface quality enhancement, especially for internal channels.
• Evaluation of true surface area and surface quality inside channels.

Main Results:

• Successful manufacturing of WC-Co specimens with internal coolant channels.
• Achieved a microstructure with minimal porosity and no cracks.
• Identified an effective parameter set for WC-Co additive manufacturing.
• Attained surface roughness comparable to standard SLS steel parts (Ra 4 μm, Rz 31 μm, Sa 7 µm, Sz 125 µm).

Conclusions:

• An effective additive manufacturing process for WC-Co with internal coolant channels has been established.
• The process yields high-quality internal microstructures and surface finishes.
• This advancement is significant for improving coolant flow and manufacturing efficiency.