Meaning
Ultra-high-strength steel alloys are designed to provide exceptional mechanical performance, toughness, and dimensional stability after heat treatment. Selecting maraging steel 1.2709 for additive manufacturing allows the creation of high-fatigue tooling inserts and structural components. This carbon-free iron-nickel alloy achieves its extreme strength through the precipitation of intermetallic compounds during aging.
Heat Treatment
Achieving the maximum tensile strength and hardness requires a two-step post-processing cycle. The printed or machined parts are first solution annealed and then aged at a temperature that optimizes the distribution of the precipitates. Using maraging steel 1.2709 ensures that dimensional changes during heat treatment are minimal, reducing the need for extensive final machining.
Additive Processing
Printing the alloy via powder bed fusion produces parts with high density and excellent weldability. Optimizing laser parameters is critical to avoid microcracking and porosity, which can degrade fatigue performance. The material’s good ductility in the as-printed state simplifies the removal of supports and initial machining operations.
Tooling Performance
Conformally cooled tooling inserts made from this steel alloy are widely used in plastic injection molding and die casting. The high fatigue strength of the alloy resists the thermal and mechanical cycling common in these processes. This resistance extends the tool’s operating life, prevents premature failure, and reduces the maintenance frequency on the production floor, thus lowering the cost per molded piece.
