TY - GEN A1 - Sviridov, Alexander A1 - Alimov, Artem A1 - Jensch, Felix A1 - Dubinin, Sergej A1 - Härtel, Sebastian T1 - Influence of surface quality on performance of forging dies produced by additive manufacturing the role of post-processing in LPBF-manufactured X55 steel T2 - Materials research proceedings N2 - Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) has become a key technology in additive manufacturing (AM), enabling the production of highly complex geometries and is increasingly applied in serial production. With the continuous expansion of processable materials, LPBF is now also being considered for the manufacturing of forging dies. However, LPBF application for tool steels such as H11 is limited by their susceptibility to hot cracking. Maraging steels like X55 present a promising alternative due to their superior resistance to such defects. A major advantage of this technology for forging dies lies in the potential elimination of extensive machining required to refine rough as-built surfaces, thereby streamlining and accelerating the production process. Achieving this goal requires systematic investigations into non-machining post-processing techniques for targeted surface modifications, along with a comprehensive evaluation of mechanical properties and surface integrity after post-processing. This study examines the influence of different post-processing methods on the surface quality, mechanical properties, and tribological behavior of LPBF-manufactured X55 (1.2709) specimens. To evaluate surface roughness and mechanical performance, slope specimens and tensile specimens were analyzed in different conditions: as-built, mechanically machined, sandblasted, and treated via Hirtisition®. Additionally, flat dies were produced and subjected to ring compression tests to determine friction factors under varying surface and lubrication conditions. The findings emphasize the crucial role of post-processing in optimizing the surface quality and functional performance of LPBF-manufactured forging tools, offering valuable insights for their further development. KW - Additive manufacturing KW - L-PBF KW - Forging dies KW - Hot bulk forging KW - Friction KW - X55 Y1 - 2025 SN - 978-1-64490-359-9 U6 - https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903599-27 SN - 2474-395X VL - 54 SP - 245 EP - 253 PB - Materials Research Forum LLC CY - Millersville, PA ER - TY - GEN A1 - Emdadi, Aliakbar A1 - Yang, Yitong A1 - Szyndler, Joanna A1 - Jensch, Felix A1 - Ertugrul, Gökhan A1 - Tovar, Michael A1 - Härtel, Sebastian A1 - Weiß, Sabine T1 - Highly printable Fe₃Al intermetallic alloy T2 - Metals : open access journal N2 - Intermetallic Fe₃Al-based alloys reinforced with Laves-phase precipitates are emerging as potential replacements for conventional high-alloy steels and possibly polycrystalline Ni-based superalloys in structural applications up to 700 °C. Their impressive mechanical properties, however, are offset by limited fabricability and poor machinability due to their severe brittleness. High tool wear during finish-machining, which is still required for components such as turbine blades, remains a key barrier to their broader adoption. In contrast to conventional manufacturing routes, additive manufacturing offers a viable solution by enabling near-net-shape manufacturing of difficult-to-machine iron aluminides. In the present study, laser powder bed fusion was used to produce an Fe-25Al-1.5Ta intermetallic containing strengthening Laves-phase precipitates, and the porosity, microstructure and phase composition were characterized as a function of the process parameters. The results showed that preheating the build plate to 650 °C effectively suppressed delamination and macrocrack formation, even though noticeable cracking still occurred at the high scan speed of 1000 mm/s. X-ray tomography revealed that samples fabricated with a lower scan speed (500 mm/s) and a higher layer thickness (0.1 mm) contained larger, irregularly shaped pores, whereas specimens printed at the same volumetric energy density (40 J/mm3) but with different parameter sets exhibited smaller fractions of predominantly spherical pores. All samples contained mostly elongated grains that were either oriented close to <001> relative to the build direction or largely texture-free. X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of Fe₃Al and C14-type (Fe, Al)₂Ta Laves phase in all samples. Hardness values fell within a narrow range (378–398 HV10), with only a slight reduction in the specimen exhibiting higher porosity. KW - Fe₃Al intermetallic KW - Iron aluminide KW - Additive manufacturing KW - Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) KW - Porosity KW - Microstructure Y1 - 2026 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/met16010005 VL - 16 IS - 5 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER -