Tool Materials: innovation, performance, and sustainability

The evolution of tool materials is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry, with increasingly high-performance and sustainable solutions. From material selection to new production technologies, let’s explore the trends shaping the sector.

What Are Tool Materials?

Mechanical processing tools must ensure high hardness, wear resistance, and thermal stability to withstand extreme operating conditions. Among the most commonly used materials, we find:

• High-Speed Steels (HSS): Ideal for cutting tools (chip removal) and molds, combining hardness and toughness.
• Hot Work Steels (HWS): Designed for processing materials at high temperatures, such as die casting, light alloy extrusion, and forging.
• Cold Work Steels (CWS): Used in applications without high temperatures, such as stamping and plastic deformation.
• Hard Metals (WC-Co): Characterized by high hardness and wear resistance, used for advanced machining operations.

Surface Treatments and Coatings

To improve wear resistance and tool durability, advanced technologies are used, such as:

• Nitriding: Increases surface hardness, tempering resistance, and wear resistance.
• PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) Coatings: Materials like titanium nitride (TiN), titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN), and titanium carbonitride (TiCN) enhance surface hardness and oxidation resistance.
• Advanced Materials: Such as polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and cubic boron nitride (CBN), perfect for ultra-high-speed machining and abrasive materials.

Innovation: Technologies Transforming the Sector

Research in tool materials and surface treatments aims to improve production efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Key development areas include:

• Innovative Materials: The development of advanced alloys with greater mechanical strength and thermal stability to extend tool life.
• Additive Manufacturing (AM): Enables the creation of tools with optimized geometries and customizable properties while reducing material consumption.
• Nano-coatings: Improve performance by reducing friction and wear, increasing tool lifespan.
• Predictive Monitoring and Maintenance: The integration of IoT sensors into tools to predict wear and optimize performance.
• Repair: Restoring damaged mold and tool surfaces, including through 3D printing techniques, to extend their life cycle.

Green Tooling: The Challenge of a More Sustainable Industry

The tooling industry faces environmental challenges related to material production and usage. Key issues include:

• High energy consumption in production and heat treatment processes.
• Use of critical raw materials (tungsten, cobalt) with extraction and supply concerns.
• Disposal and recycling of worn-out tools, requiring circular economy solutions.
• CO₂ emissions and industrial waste from tool manufacturing and processing.

Innovative solutions, such as using recycled materials, reducing energy-intensive heat treatments, and optimizing tool life cycles, are essential for transitioning to more sustainable production.

The Future of Tooling is in Trento: Materials, Innovation, and Sustainability

An opportunity to delve into these topics will be the 13th International Conference on Tooling, scheduled to take place in Trento from March 24 to 26. This event serves as a dedicated forum for engineers and researchers in the field, offering a unique opportunity for the exchange of ideas and experiences.

In addition to providing professionals with insights into the latest developments in tool material production and application, the conference is an excellent platform for researchers to present their work and facilitate its transfer to industrial applications.

Innovation in tool materials is not just about performance but also sustainability. The industry is evolving towards more efficient and eco-friendly solutions, and the sector’s future will depend on the ability to integrate advanced technologies and sustainable practices.

Official website: https://www.tooling2025.org/
Scientific Chair: Prof. Massimo Pellizzari, Full Professor of Metallurgy at DII.
Organization: ASMET and AIM.