Rapid Tooling Material Selection Guide

LaserForm A6

Used to create metal prototype inserts, this A6 tool steel-based powder infiltrated with bronze creates a tool with characteristics similar to steel.

• Metal part without casting or machining
• Characteristics similar to steel
• Can be plated, polished, textured, machined, or EDM’d for complex geometries or critical tolerances
• High heat resistance
• Can build non-machinable geometries
• Built-in gates and cooling channels

• Potentially shorter tool life (15 K shots)
• Overall tolerances +/- 0.005

• Excellent for highly complex metal tooling inserts
• Quick turn-around tools

CNC machining

Tooling inserts are created by traditional high-speed subtractive machining from a block of material.

• Longer tool life (50K to 100K shots)

• Tolerances +/- 0.003

• Cost effective for simple geometry and large tools