Hello, this is HDC.
HDC provides metal additive manufacturing solutions optimized for domestic manufacturing sites in collaboration with global partners.
The content I will introduce this time is Meltio's Mild Steel (ER70S-6) Based Heterogeneous Material Strategyno see.
Mild steel is widely used on its own, but when used in combination with tool steel, etc. 74% reduction in tool steel, 36% reduction in costs, and 23% reduction in printing timeIt is a key material that can achieve both performance and efficiency while eliciting [this].
This strategy can be a practical alternative for everyone, from companies looking to adopt metal additive manufacturing for the first time to industrial sites requiring the production of high-performance parts, so please read on to the end.
Mild steel (low-carbon steel) is one of the most widely used metals in the world due to its price competitiveness, workability, and diverse applications.
Meltio actively utilizes mild steels such as ER70S-6, and this material not only provides excellent weldability and ductility
It also serves as an ideal entry point for companies starting metal additive manufacturing for the first time.
While mild steel is valuable enough when used alone, it actually plays a larger role in hybrid and heterogeneous material applications.
This is because it allows you to reduce costs and time while maintaining the same performance.
| Material Overview
Mild steel belongs to the low-carbon steel category and is one of the most widely used steel grades worldwide.
Due to its low carbon content, it has superior ductility compared to high-carbon steel and is much easier to process and weld, but to that extent
It also has the characteristic that hardening or strengthening through heat treatment is almost impossible.
In addition, mild steel mainly has a ferrite microstructure. It has strong magnetic characteristics.That point is interesting,
In fact, the Meltio application department sometimes uses magnets to identify the steel grade when they are unsure.
This is because the printed parts often look similar to each other.
Mild steel is widely used as ER series welding wire and exhibits properties similar to other structural steels.
especially It is very attractive to additive manufacturing in terms of cost efficiency and material compatibility.It is.
Meltio also tested other steel grades such as ER80, ER100, and ER110 and obtained satisfactory results.
| ER70S-6
The mild steel grade basically used in Meltio is ER70S-6no see.
This material demonstrates stable output quality and is readily available on the market, but
Compared to stainless steel (316L), the layering speed is lower, so printing time may be longer when producing large parts.
Even so, it has significant advantages in that it allows material costs to be kept low.
The ER70S-6 is being utilized in various industries, including construction, automotive, and general manufacturing.
The parts frequently required in the market, in particular Heterogeneous material design considering cost efficiencyno see.
Mild steel is also frequently used for rafts because it separates easily from the build plate.
The figure below is an example of a press brake tool.
This tool is widely used in sheet metal forming processes and is applied in various industrial fields.
In this case, the inner core was made of ER70S-6, and the outer part was made of 3mm thick H11 tool steel.
The reason for configuring it this way is clear.
Because the exterior of press brake tools is continuously exposed to high wear, pressure, and thermal cycles, tool steel such as H11 is required.
On the other hand, since the internal core is not subjected to the same level of stress, using mild steel is sufficient.
Therefore, you can significantly reduce costs and output time while maintaining performance.
Please check the cost difference in the table below between printing with the entire H11 and printing using the heterogeneous material method combining ER70S-6 and H11.
Applying this heterogeneous material approach reduces tool steel usage by approximately 74% and lowers total output costs per part by more than 36%.
The output time is also reduced by about 23%, because the stacking speed of H11 is significantly lower than that of mild steel.
In other words, it does not stop at simply reducing the use of expensive alloys,
of the entire process Cost efficiency and time efficiencyIt means that you can raise it at the same time.
If cost savings of this magnitude are achieved in actual production environments, it could mark a turning point in the utilization of additive manufacturing.
In terms of productivity, the stacking speed of the ER70S-6 is maximum when using a 1.4kW blue laser. 423 g/hYou can reach up to.
Therefore, it is considered a particularly attractive material for manufacturing large parts, rapid prototyping, and economical maintenance work.
Microstructural analysis was performed by an external specialized laboratory, and a 10×10×60mm specimen was taken from the output block.
Preparation and analysis were conducted in accordance with ASTM standards. The photo below shows the results.
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IR laser (infrared laser) : XY direction immediately after printing, XY direction after heat treatment
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Blue laser : XY direction immediately after output
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Mild steel is not limited to being used alone, It also plays a key role in hybrid manufacturing strategies....does.
This is because it can be utilized as a structural base, allowing higher-performance alloys to be added to specific areas where needed.
Thanks to this high versatility, mild steel has established itself as a very popular material in Meltio's metal 3D printing portfolio.
Especially for companies looking to newly adopt metal additive manufacturing A practical and realistic starting pointIt is serving as this.
| Why You Should Choose Meltio Mild Steel
Meltio's ER70S-6 mild steel offers a reasonable balance of cost and performance, establishing itself as the optimal choice for additive manufacturing and hybrid applications.
today Mold with cooling channels (conformal cooling channels) We are also applying technology to development. W-LMD technology features excellent microstructure and 99.998% densityIt is possible to produce parts with this, which surpasses the characteristics of castings and approaches the level of forgings.
| Cost-effective high-performance solutions
Mild steel, especially ER70S-6, when combined with the right additive manufacturing strategy,
It demonstrates that cost-effective materials can also produce sufficiently high-performance results.
Because it can reduce the use of expensive tool steel and shorten the production cycle,
From the manufacturer's perspective, it becomes a realistic alternative that can find a balance between efficiency and durability.
As a result, mild steel has established itself as an important pillar of Meltio's material portfolio, and
We support the more confident and practical adoption of 3D printing across industries.
