Automation solutions for metal laminated tooling

Development and improvement of a complete self-controlled process chain for manufacturing of laminated tools is the purose of the research performed at the Fraunhofer Institut for Material and Beam Technology and different German companies. The so-called MELATO® technology describes a process chain that has as a first step the slicing of the 3D CAD geometry into layers. The slices are obtained by high-speed laser cutting and then joined together. In this way, laminated tools or parts are built up. Using the MELATO® technology, tools for such operations as deep drawing, stamping and injection molding of various types of sheet metals can be manufactured.