Companies Deliver 3D-Printed Die Casting Tool Insert to Toyota Europe

MacLean-Fogg Co. (MFC) and Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT (Fraunhofer ILT) have reached a milestone in additive manufacturing for the automotive industry: creating a large 3D-printed mostly solid die casting tooling insert, 350 lbs, for Toyota Europe's Yaris hybrid transmission housing.

A conformally cooled insert was produced using Fraunhofer ILT's gantry-type, multi-laser Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) machine with MacLean-Fogg's L-40 tool steel powder. A hybrid process was used to meetToyota's cost targets.

OEM Validation

"Gantry printing with L-40 tool steel powder material, a promising avenue towards scalable additive manufacturing, is opening the potential for metal 3D printing to reduce lead times and to realize more responsive manufacturing— in particular while delivering world-class insert performance, longer maintenance intervals, and cost-effective pricing structure," say Dr. Magdalena Coventry and Dr. Andrew Willett, Toyota Europe. 

Advanced Materials for Automotive 

MacLean-Fogg's L-40 powder was specifically designed for the LPBF process to achieve high hardness and toughness. Compared to conventional tool steels, L-40 also reduces the need for advanced post-build heat treatments. Additional benefits include:

• Reduced the soldering of aluminum to the tooling surface
• Lower overall tooling maintenance requirements
• High sustainability, with no cobalt and a minimal amount of nickel

"Toyota posed a thrilling challenge by requesting to expand the application of L-40 to large-format tooling inserts," says MacLean-Fogg Director of Product Development Dr. Harald Lemke. "We had to overcome scale-up challenges such as ensuring consistent gas flow conditions as build sizes grew."

Fraunhofer ILT addressed these requirements with its gantry-type, five-laser LPBF system, which allows for the processing of parts longer than 50 cm in side length and chamber temperatures of up to 200°C.

"This was precisely our motivating factor to develop the gantry system," says Dr. Niklas Prätzsch of Fraunhofer ILT. "L-40's unique attributes make it possible to perform large-scale additive manufacturing of tooling inserts at lower temperatures without compromising quality."

Future of Automotive Die Casting

By demonstrating this success, Fraunhofer ILT and MacLean-Fogg aim to expand the technology into structural die casting, inserts for giga-casting tools, and other large hot- or cold-forming tools where traditional powders have not yet been validated. 

About MacLean-Fogg 

MacLean-Fogg Company is a privately held enterprise headquartered in Mundelein, IL, serving the global automotive and industrial markets for more than 100 years. With 17 locations worldwide and over 2,000 employees, MacLean-Fogg designs and manufactures high-performance fasteners, engineered components, and advanced tooling solutions for leading OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.

About Fraunhofer ILT

The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, based in Aachen, Germany, is a research and development centers for laser technology. With over 500 employees and more than 19,500 m² of laboratory and office space, Fraunhofer ILT develops solutions for laser-based manufacturing processes, ranging from additive manufacturing and laser cutting to welding, surface treatment, and medical applications.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.