Additive manufacturing for stamping dies is beginning to move beyond prototype tooling and general 3D-printing discussions. One of the more practical directions is Direct Energy Deposition (DED), where tool material can be deposited only in selected high-wear or functional regions of an existing substrate.
For automotive trim tooling, this creates an interesting hybrid-manufacturing concept: use a conventional steel body for most of the insert, deposit a higher-performance tool material only around the cutting edge, and then finish-machine the deposited region to its final geometry and clearance.
Recent 2026 automotive-industry testing suggests that this idea has progressed far enough for real stamping trials. However, the evidence does not support the claim that DED will replace CNC machining, WEDM, grinding or conventional tool-steel manufacturing. The more realistic question is where additive deposition can complement those established processes.
Great Designs in Steel 2026 included “Additive Metals DED (Direct Energy Deposition) Trim Steel Testing – Phase II,” presented by General Motors through the Auto/Steel Partnership. The project evaluated wire-fed DED inserts during an actual AHSS trim-die trial. The experimental figures discussed below belong to that external research program and are not Changdong production or tooling-life data.
High-performance tool material can be placed only around the trim edge or other selected wear region instead of manufacturing the entire insert from the same material.
A conventional cast or machined substrate can be combined with an additively deposited working region and subsequent subtractive finishing.
DED is technically suited to restoring selected damaged or worn regions because material can be added directly onto an existing component.
Deposited material normally requires machining, grinding or other finishing before it can function as a precision trim surface or cutting edge.
Direct Energy Deposition is an additive manufacturing process in which metal feedstock, commonly powder or wire, is delivered into a localized melt pool created by an energy source such as a laser. For stamping tooling, DED can be used to build or restore selected regions on an existing steel substrate. This makes it particularly interesting for trim edges, wear areas, tool repair and hybrid inserts where the entire component does not need to be additively manufactured.
A stamping trim insert does not require identical material performance throughout its complete volume. The cutting edge needs high hardness, wear resistance and sufficient toughness, while the bulk of the insert primarily provides structural support, mounting and load transfer.
Conventional manufacturing often addresses this by machining the complete insert from a suitable high-alloy tool steel and applying the required heat-treatment route. This is well established, but high-alloy material and treatment are being used even in areas that do not directly perform the cutting operation.
DED makes another architecture possible: manufacture the bulk from a suitable substrate, prepare a groove or deposition region around the working edge, add the higher-performance material locally, and machine the deposited section to final size.
The 2026 Auto/Steel Partnership project provides a useful example because it tested DED tooling in an actual trimming setup rather than evaluating only laboratory coupons.
| Trial Element | 2026 Research Setup |
|---|---|
| Tool architecture | Conventional base insert combined with locally deposited DED trimming material |
| Base material | D6510 cast steel substrate in the research inserts |
| DED working material | Wire-fed H11 deposited around the selected trim-edge region |
| Reported deposited hardness | Approximately 52 HRC for the H11 material used in this particular test |
| Stamped material | 1.4 mm DP980 sheet steel |
| Trial clearance | 15% in the specific research program |
| Trial duration | 50,000 hits for the Phase II evaluation |
These figures describe one General Motors / Auto/Steel Partnership research test. They are not general design recommendations and do not represent Changdong material, hardness, clearance or tooling-life specifications.
The research inserts completed the 50,000-hit test, maintained useful edge sharpness and produced trimmed components with acceptable edge quality throughout the program. This is significant because it demonstrates that a hybrid DED trim insert can function under repeated AHSS trimming loads.
At the same time, inspection found small dents, chips, deformation and non-uniform wear at selected locations. One lower-insert region showed significant chipping after 20,000 hits, while other observed defects remained relatively stable through the remaining test period.
The study therefore concluded that the DED tools worked in the test, but also stated that a longer durability program would be necessary to fully validate their potential. The planned next step is comparison against conventional and laser-hardened trim-tool solutions.
DED has crossed an important threshold when an additively deposited trim edge can survive a meaningful physical stamping trial. But “successful trial” and “validated production-life replacement for conventional tooling” are not the same conclusion.
Stamping dies contain many dimensional relationships that additive deposition alone cannot economically or accurately finish. Guide surfaces, mounting faces, holes, cutting clearance, insert height, fit and final edge geometry still require controlled subtractive processing.
In the 2026 trim-insert study, the workflow itself demonstrated this point. The cast substrate was rough-machined, a deposition groove was prepared, H11 was added by DED, and the insert then returned to machining for final width, height, depth, mounting holes and a sharp chip-free trim edge.
This suggests that the practical future of additive manufacturing in stamping dies may be less about printing an entire tool and more about combining additive and subtractive processes according to what each method does best.
| Manufacturing Process | Likely Role in Hybrid Tooling |
|---|---|
| DED | Localized material addition, hardfacing, selected wear regions, repair and property tailoring |
| CNC machining | Base geometry, deposited-region finishing, mounting features and dimensional control |
| WEDM | Precision profiles, slots and selected hardened-tool features where wire access is suitable |
| Grinding | Final flatness, surface finish, insert height and precision working surfaces |
| Tryout / inspection | Confirm whether the hybrid structure actually survives the intended stamping load and produces acceptable parts |
A large die component may experience severe wear only at selected cutting, forming or contact areas. Depositing a higher-performance alloy locally could allow the bulk component and working surface to be optimized separately.
Trim inserts are particularly logical because their working requirement is concentrated around a relatively narrow cutting edge. The 2026 automotive trial directly demonstrates why this geometry is receiving attention.
DED can add material onto an existing substrate, making it technically attractive for selected repair situations where damaged material can first be removed and the required region rebuilt. Repair feasibility still depends on the original material, crack condition, geometry, thermal history and required final properties.
Where a die requires localized material addition following a product revision, additive deposition could eventually complement conventional insert replacement or welding-based modification. The deposited area would still require machining and validation before the tool returned to production.
Tool steel is a demanding additive-manufacturing material. The performance of a DED region depends on feedstock, energy input, deposition path, dilution with the substrate, solidification rate and repeated thermal cycles.
| Technical Risk | Why It Matters for Stamping Tooling |
|---|---|
| Lack of fusion | Poor bonding between deposited tracks or substrate can become a crack-initiation site under cyclic trimming loads. |
| Porosity | Internal voids can reduce fatigue resistance and create variability near heavily loaded cutting regions. |
| Residual stress | Rapid localized heating and cooling can create distortion and stress that affect machining or service behavior. |
| Microstructural variation | The deposited zone, heat-affected region and base material can have different structures and mechanical properties. |
| Surface / dimensional condition | As-deposited geometry normally does not provide the precision or cutting-edge quality required for a stamping die. |
| Long-term durability | A successful short or medium trial does not automatically establish production tool life under different materials and plant conditions. |
Additive manufacturing is strongest when geometry or material needs to be added. Stamping-tool manufacture also requires precise removal of material.
A trim insert needs controlled cutting clearance, accurate mounting relationships, sharp working edges and repeatable datum surfaces. These are subtractive-manufacturing requirements. Even when the working material is deposited additively, the final tool normally remains a product of several manufacturing processes.
The likely industrial direction is therefore hybrid manufacturing: use DED only where localized material addition creates a technical or economic advantage, and retain CNC, WEDM, grinding and conventional tooling methods where they remain more precise, predictable or practical.
Repair is another frequently cited DED opportunity. Because the process can deposit material onto an existing component, worn or damaged regions can potentially be removed and rebuilt instead of replacing an entire high-value tool.
Research on tool steels and other engineering alloys shows that successful repair depends heavily on interface integrity, heat input and defect control. Lack of fusion, porosity, inclusions, cracking and local property mismatch remain realistic risks.
For that reason, DED repair should not be treated as an automatic solution for every worn stamping die. Incoming inspection, failure analysis, substrate identification, repair geometry, deposition qualification, finish machining and final validation would still be required.
The most interesting DED concept for stamping dies may not be the ability to print a complete tool. It is the ability to separate the material requirements of the tool body from the material requirements of the working surface.
If a trim insert requires premium wear-resistant properties only around a narrow cutting region, localized deposition creates the possibility of placing expensive or specialized material only where the stamping load requires it. Whether this becomes commercially competitive will depend on deposition reliability, post-processing, durability and the complete tooling cost rather than the additive step alone.
DED does not make established die-manufacturing knowledge obsolete. In fact, successful adoption would require additive technology to be integrated with the same tooling disciplines already used in conventional die development: working-clearance design, tool support, machining accuracy, wear analysis, tryout and part validation.
Dongguan Changdong Tool & Die Co., Ltd. currently supports stamping-die projects through established processes including DFM, CAE when required, CNC machining, WEDM, precision grinding, assembly, 45T–800T press tryout and sample inspection.
DED is discussed here as an emerging industry technology rather than a current Changdong manufacturing service. If additive tooling continues to mature, its most practical role is likely to be evaluated alongside—not instead of—the conventional manufacturing processes required to produce a complete stamping die.
Direct Energy Deposition is an additive manufacturing process that adds metal to a localized region of an existing substrate using a concentrated energy source and metal feedstock.
For stamping dies, DED is being investigated for hybrid trim inserts, localized wear-resistant regions and selected repair applications. Recent automotive testing has demonstrated functional AHSS trimming, but longer durability validation and comparison with conventional tooling are still required.
Dongguan Changdong Tool & Die Co., Ltd. currently manufactures stamping dies using established engineering, CNC machining, WEDM, grinding, assembly, press-tryout and inspection processes. This article discusses DED as an industry trend; Changdong is not presented as a DED additive-manufacturing equipment or service provider.
DED, or Direct Energy Deposition, adds metal onto an existing substrate by melting supplied wire or powder with a concentrated energy source. In tooling, it can potentially create localized working regions or restore selected areas.
It may be technically possible to additively manufacture large volumes of tool material, but the practical stamping-tool opportunity currently appears stronger in hybrid construction and localized deposition. Precision machining and other finishing processes are still required for many functional features.
No general replacement should be assumed. DED adds material, while CNC machining removes material to create accurate geometry, mounting features and final surfaces. Hybrid tooling normally requires both additive and subtractive manufacturing.
DED has technical potential for localized repair because worn material can be removed and new material deposited. Actual feasibility depends on the substrate, damage mechanism, geometry, deposition quality, machining requirements and final validation.
No. The Phase II research completed a 50,000-hit AHSS trimming trial with acceptable component edge quality, but the researchers also observed wear and localized defects and specifically recommended further durability testing and comparison against conventional tooling solutions.
This page discusses DED as an emerging industry technology. Changdong's verified current tooling capabilities include DFM, CAE when required, CNC machining, WEDM, grinding, die assembly, press tryout and sample validation.
Changdong is good at making metal stamping dies up to 4.2 meters, also we produce small size metal stamping toolings. The company manages the complete stamping die program from the CAE Simulation, layout designs and stamping tooling designs, and finish the machining to tryout and home line tryout to your hands. Meanwhile, the company produces the prototyping parts and stamping parts range from 45-880T. The successful cases include: stamping tools of Leoni connectors, automotive stamping dies of PSA P8 & B618, metal stamping toolings of Cummins exhaust pipe assembly, automobile stamping dies of NISSAN H60B projects, and stamping tools of car audio system, Canon printers, refrigerators, ovens and washing machines and so on.If you need metal stamping dies ,stamping parts or metal prototypings,
Email to us: sales@chang-dong.com
Additive manufacturing for stamping dies is beginning to move beyond prototype tooling and general 3D-printing discussions. One of the more practical directions is Direct Energy Deposition (DED), where tool material can be deposited only in selected high-wear or functional regions of an existing substrate.
For automotive trim tooling, this creates an interesting hybrid-manufacturing concept: use a conventional steel body for most of the insert, deposit a higher-performance tool material only around the cutting edge, and then finish-machine the deposited region to its final geometry and clearance.
Recent 2026 automotive-industry testing suggests that this idea has progressed far enough for real stamping trials. However, the evidence does not support the claim that DED will replace CNC machining, WEDM, grinding or conventional tool-steel manufacturing. The more realistic question is where additive deposition can complement those established processes.
Great Designs in Steel 2026 included “Additive Metals DED (Direct Energy Deposition) Trim Steel Testing – Phase II,” presented by General Motors through the Auto/Steel Partnership. The project evaluated wire-fed DED inserts during an actual AHSS trim-die trial. The experimental figures discussed below belong to that external research program and are not Changdong production or tooling-life data.
High-performance tool material can be placed only around the trim edge or other selected wear region instead of manufacturing the entire insert from the same material.
A conventional cast or machined substrate can be combined with an additively deposited working region and subsequent subtractive finishing.
DED is technically suited to restoring selected damaged or worn regions because material can be added directly onto an existing component.
Deposited material normally requires machining, grinding or other finishing before it can function as a precision trim surface or cutting edge.
Direct Energy Deposition is an additive manufacturing process in which metal feedstock, commonly powder or wire, is delivered into a localized melt pool created by an energy source such as a laser. For stamping tooling, DED can be used to build or restore selected regions on an existing steel substrate. This makes it particularly interesting for trim edges, wear areas, tool repair and hybrid inserts where the entire component does not need to be additively manufactured.
A stamping trim insert does not require identical material performance throughout its complete volume. The cutting edge needs high hardness, wear resistance and sufficient toughness, while the bulk of the insert primarily provides structural support, mounting and load transfer.
Conventional manufacturing often addresses this by machining the complete insert from a suitable high-alloy tool steel and applying the required heat-treatment route. This is well established, but high-alloy material and treatment are being used even in areas that do not directly perform the cutting operation.
DED makes another architecture possible: manufacture the bulk from a suitable substrate, prepare a groove or deposition region around the working edge, add the higher-performance material locally, and machine the deposited section to final size.
The 2026 Auto/Steel Partnership project provides a useful example because it tested DED tooling in an actual trimming setup rather than evaluating only laboratory coupons.
| Trial Element | 2026 Research Setup |
|---|---|
| Tool architecture | Conventional base insert combined with locally deposited DED trimming material |
| Base material | D6510 cast steel substrate in the research inserts |
| DED working material | Wire-fed H11 deposited around the selected trim-edge region |
| Reported deposited hardness | Approximately 52 HRC for the H11 material used in this particular test |
| Stamped material | 1.4 mm DP980 sheet steel |
| Trial clearance | 15% in the specific research program |
| Trial duration | 50,000 hits for the Phase II evaluation |
These figures describe one General Motors / Auto/Steel Partnership research test. They are not general design recommendations and do not represent Changdong material, hardness, clearance or tooling-life specifications.
The research inserts completed the 50,000-hit test, maintained useful edge sharpness and produced trimmed components with acceptable edge quality throughout the program. This is significant because it demonstrates that a hybrid DED trim insert can function under repeated AHSS trimming loads.
At the same time, inspection found small dents, chips, deformation and non-uniform wear at selected locations. One lower-insert region showed significant chipping after 20,000 hits, while other observed defects remained relatively stable through the remaining test period.
The study therefore concluded that the DED tools worked in the test, but also stated that a longer durability program would be necessary to fully validate their potential. The planned next step is comparison against conventional and laser-hardened trim-tool solutions.
DED has crossed an important threshold when an additively deposited trim edge can survive a meaningful physical stamping trial. But “successful trial” and “validated production-life replacement for conventional tooling” are not the same conclusion.
Stamping dies contain many dimensional relationships that additive deposition alone cannot economically or accurately finish. Guide surfaces, mounting faces, holes, cutting clearance, insert height, fit and final edge geometry still require controlled subtractive processing.
In the 2026 trim-insert study, the workflow itself demonstrated this point. The cast substrate was rough-machined, a deposition groove was prepared, H11 was added by DED, and the insert then returned to machining for final width, height, depth, mounting holes and a sharp chip-free trim edge.
This suggests that the practical future of additive manufacturing in stamping dies may be less about printing an entire tool and more about combining additive and subtractive processes according to what each method does best.
| Manufacturing Process | Likely Role in Hybrid Tooling |
|---|---|
| DED | Localized material addition, hardfacing, selected wear regions, repair and property tailoring |
| CNC machining | Base geometry, deposited-region finishing, mounting features and dimensional control |
| WEDM | Precision profiles, slots and selected hardened-tool features where wire access is suitable |
| Grinding | Final flatness, surface finish, insert height and precision working surfaces |
| Tryout / inspection | Confirm whether the hybrid structure actually survives the intended stamping load and produces acceptable parts |
A large die component may experience severe wear only at selected cutting, forming or contact areas. Depositing a higher-performance alloy locally could allow the bulk component and working surface to be optimized separately.
Trim inserts are particularly logical because their working requirement is concentrated around a relatively narrow cutting edge. The 2026 automotive trial directly demonstrates why this geometry is receiving attention.
DED can add material onto an existing substrate, making it technically attractive for selected repair situations where damaged material can first be removed and the required region rebuilt. Repair feasibility still depends on the original material, crack condition, geometry, thermal history and required final properties.
Where a die requires localized material addition following a product revision, additive deposition could eventually complement conventional insert replacement or welding-based modification. The deposited area would still require machining and validation before the tool returned to production.
Tool steel is a demanding additive-manufacturing material. The performance of a DED region depends on feedstock, energy input, deposition path, dilution with the substrate, solidification rate and repeated thermal cycles.
| Technical Risk | Why It Matters for Stamping Tooling |
|---|---|
| Lack of fusion | Poor bonding between deposited tracks or substrate can become a crack-initiation site under cyclic trimming loads. |
| Porosity | Internal voids can reduce fatigue resistance and create variability near heavily loaded cutting regions. |
| Residual stress | Rapid localized heating and cooling can create distortion and stress that affect machining or service behavior. |
| Microstructural variation | The deposited zone, heat-affected region and base material can have different structures and mechanical properties. |
| Surface / dimensional condition | As-deposited geometry normally does not provide the precision or cutting-edge quality required for a stamping die. |
| Long-term durability | A successful short or medium trial does not automatically establish production tool life under different materials and plant conditions. |
Additive manufacturing is strongest when geometry or material needs to be added. Stamping-tool manufacture also requires precise removal of material.
A trim insert needs controlled cutting clearance, accurate mounting relationships, sharp working edges and repeatable datum surfaces. These are subtractive-manufacturing requirements. Even when the working material is deposited additively, the final tool normally remains a product of several manufacturing processes.
The likely industrial direction is therefore hybrid manufacturing: use DED only where localized material addition creates a technical or economic advantage, and retain CNC, WEDM, grinding and conventional tooling methods where they remain more precise, predictable or practical.
Repair is another frequently cited DED opportunity. Because the process can deposit material onto an existing component, worn or damaged regions can potentially be removed and rebuilt instead of replacing an entire high-value tool.
Research on tool steels and other engineering alloys shows that successful repair depends heavily on interface integrity, heat input and defect control. Lack of fusion, porosity, inclusions, cracking and local property mismatch remain realistic risks.
For that reason, DED repair should not be treated as an automatic solution for every worn stamping die. Incoming inspection, failure analysis, substrate identification, repair geometry, deposition qualification, finish machining and final validation would still be required.
The most interesting DED concept for stamping dies may not be the ability to print a complete tool. It is the ability to separate the material requirements of the tool body from the material requirements of the working surface.
If a trim insert requires premium wear-resistant properties only around a narrow cutting region, localized deposition creates the possibility of placing expensive or specialized material only where the stamping load requires it. Whether this becomes commercially competitive will depend on deposition reliability, post-processing, durability and the complete tooling cost rather than the additive step alone.
DED does not make established die-manufacturing knowledge obsolete. In fact, successful adoption would require additive technology to be integrated with the same tooling disciplines already used in conventional die development: working-clearance design, tool support, machining accuracy, wear analysis, tryout and part validation.
Dongguan Changdong Tool & Die Co., Ltd. currently supports stamping-die projects through established processes including DFM, CAE when required, CNC machining, WEDM, precision grinding, assembly, 45T–800T press tryout and sample inspection.
DED is discussed here as an emerging industry technology rather than a current Changdong manufacturing service. If additive tooling continues to mature, its most practical role is likely to be evaluated alongside—not instead of—the conventional manufacturing processes required to produce a complete stamping die.
Direct Energy Deposition is an additive manufacturing process that adds metal to a localized region of an existing substrate using a concentrated energy source and metal feedstock.
For stamping dies, DED is being investigated for hybrid trim inserts, localized wear-resistant regions and selected repair applications. Recent automotive testing has demonstrated functional AHSS trimming, but longer durability validation and comparison with conventional tooling are still required.
Dongguan Changdong Tool & Die Co., Ltd. currently manufactures stamping dies using established engineering, CNC machining, WEDM, grinding, assembly, press-tryout and inspection processes. This article discusses DED as an industry trend; Changdong is not presented as a DED additive-manufacturing equipment or service provider.
DED, or Direct Energy Deposition, adds metal onto an existing substrate by melting supplied wire or powder with a concentrated energy source. In tooling, it can potentially create localized working regions or restore selected areas.
It may be technically possible to additively manufacture large volumes of tool material, but the practical stamping-tool opportunity currently appears stronger in hybrid construction and localized deposition. Precision machining and other finishing processes are still required for many functional features.
No general replacement should be assumed. DED adds material, while CNC machining removes material to create accurate geometry, mounting features and final surfaces. Hybrid tooling normally requires both additive and subtractive manufacturing.
DED has technical potential for localized repair because worn material can be removed and new material deposited. Actual feasibility depends on the substrate, damage mechanism, geometry, deposition quality, machining requirements and final validation.
No. The Phase II research completed a 50,000-hit AHSS trimming trial with acceptable component edge quality, but the researchers also observed wear and localized defects and specifically recommended further durability testing and comparison against conventional tooling solutions.
This page discusses DED as an emerging industry technology. Changdong's verified current tooling capabilities include DFM, CAE when required, CNC machining, WEDM, grinding, die assembly, press tryout and sample validation.
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E-mail: sales@chang-dong.com Tel: 0086-769-8106 1256 Mobile: 0086-189 2949 4380 Sales Manager: Ms. Alice Fax: 0086-769-8106 1926
Dongguan Changdong Tool & Die Co., Ltd. is a custom metal stamping die and stamped parts manufacturer founded in 2012. We support automotive, home appliance, electrical and industrial projects from DFM review and die design to press tryout, sample validation and metal stamping production.
Main capabilities: Stamping Dies | Progressive Die | Transfer Die | Prototype Die | Prototype Tooling | Stamping Parts | Custom Metal Stamping Parts
For new tooling or stamping projects, please send your 2D drawing, 3D model, material grade, sheet thickness, tolerance requirements, annual volume and sample target date through Contact Us.
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