New from Brose: Low-Alloy Steels in SLM

Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. KG, Coburg, is expanding its offering on the PROTIQ Marketplace: In addition to existing plastic materials, two low-alloy steels are now available for Selective Laser Melting – 1.0980 (S420) and 1.8974 (S700).

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Why low-alloy steels are interesting for 3D printing

The low-alloy steel grades S700 and S420 have the same chemical composition as conventionally used strip steel and thus meet the material standard. From a materials science perspective, the steels processed additively are therefore material twins of strip steel.

This enables component properties equivalent to those of stamped and bent parts (from tool-based forming processes). As a result, 3D-printed prototypes can already exhibit series-production properties and are not only to be regarded as functionally close samples.

Another advantage: Thanks to the identical chemical composition, the materials can be integrated into existing production lines without adjustments, using the same joining technologies. Adaptations in welding technology or in downstream processes such as cathodic dip coating (CDC) are not required.

Possible applications span the entire vehicle structure: including seat structures, body components, door and tailgate parts, as well as components in the chassis area. This opens up new possibilities for series-close prototype development and flexible production of high-strength structural components using low-alloy steels in 3D printing.

Material overview: 1.0980 and 1.8974 in detail

Steel 1.0980 – Brose Rp 420 (Medium Yield Strength)

A microalloyed, thermomechanically rolled steel widely used as a sheet metal material for cold forming. In SLM, a homogeneous microstructure forms without rolling texture or preferred direction. Printed components can be welded (e.g. laser welding) and coated (e.g. CDC).

• Key properties (SLM):
  
  
  • Relative density: > 99 %
  • Tensile strength (UTS): 450 MPa
  • Yield strength (Rp0.2): 420 MPa
  • Elongation at break (Ef): 16 %

To the detailed datasheet > 

• Steel 1.8974 – Brose Rp 700 (High Yield Strength)

  A microalloyed, thermomechanically rolled steel with high yield strength, also widely used as a sheet metal material for cold forming. In SLM, a homogeneous microstructure also forms, without rolling texture or preferred direction. The microstructure is ferritic‑martensitic, with the martensitic proportion dominating. Printed components can be welded (e.g. laser welding) and coated (e.g. CDC).
  
  
  Key properties (SLM):
  
  
  • Relative density: > 99 %
  • Tensile strength (UTS): 815 MPa
  • Yield strength (Rp0.2): 700 MPa
  • Elongation at break (Ef): 14 %

To the detailed datasheet >