High Temperature Polymers for 3D Printed Injection Molding Tooling

The repair and rebuilding of injection molded parts is an important activity at army depots. The unit cost to make small batch parts is quite expensive due to the high cost and long lead time for injection molds for tooling.  Fused Filament Fabrication AM offers a viable alternative to reduce tooling costs and lead time, however most AM thermoplastics do not meet the stringent requirements of high-pressure injection molding tooling.  We propose to explore various compounds of carbon and glass fiber-filled polymers to identify those with suitable properties to make into filaments for injection molded tooling. The project will also equip commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) desktop 3D printers to handle the high temperatures and abrasive materials and develop a low-cost upgrade package developed for retro-fitting. These results will play a important role in increasing readiness by reducing tooling costs and lead times for MRO activities.