Publication detail

Effect of microstructure on machinability of extruded and conventional H13 tool steel

KOLOMÝ, Š. MALÝ, M. DOUBRAVA, M. SEDLÁK, J. ZOUHAR, J. ČUPERA, J.

Original Title

Effect of microstructure on machinability of extruded and conventional H13 tool steel

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

H13 tool steel samples were fabricated using material extrusion to explore their machinability, offering a promising alternative to laser powder bed fusion for producing complex parts like moulds and cores. Three material states were studied: as-built (AB), heat-treated additively manufactured (HTAM), and heat-treated wrought (HTW). Machining tests focused on cutting speed, feed per tooth, and cooling conditions (dry/flood), while tracking their effect on cutting forces, surface roughness, hardness, microstructure, and residual stresses. Heat treatment significantly reduced porosity (similar to 45 % decrease between AB and HTAM) and transformed the microstructure to full martensite, increasing hardness and cutting forces. Interestingly, the HTAM sample showed lower cutting forces than HTW-by 23.7 % in dry and 24.5 % under flood cooling. HTW generally produced smoother surfaces at lower cutting parameters, but its roughness increased at higher conditions compared to HTAM. The softest AB sample experienced the highest surface hardening (similar to 12 %) when machined at low cutting speeds, while the HTW sample showed most uniform plastic deformation, extending up to similar to 50 mu m below the surface. Dominantly tensile residual stresses were measured in HTW, while AB and HTAM showed mainly compressive residual stresses under dry conditions. This study highlights viability of extruded H13 for industrial use, particularly in mould applications.

Keywords

H13 tool steel; Material extrusion; Heat treatment; Machinability; Microstructure; Residual stresses

Authors

KOLOMÝ, Š.; MALÝ, M.; DOUBRAVA, M.; SEDLÁK, J.; ZOUHAR, J.; ČUPERA, J.

Released

9. 6. 2025

Publisher

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Location

London

ISBN

1873-4197

Periodical

MATERIALS & DESIGN

Year of study

254

Number

June

State

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Pages from

1

Pages to

21

Pages count

21

URL

Full text in the Digital Library

BibTex

@article{BUT198144,
  author="Štěpán {Kolomý} and Martin {Malý} and Marek {Doubrava} and Josef {Sedlák} and Jan {Zouhar} and Jan {Čupera}",
  title="Effect of microstructure on machinability of extruded and conventional H13 tool steel",
  journal="MATERIALS & DESIGN",
  year="2025",
  volume="254",
  number="June",
  pages="21",
  doi="10.1016/j.matdes.2025.114132",
  issn="1873-4197",
  url="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525005520"
}