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RapidTool is a selective laser sintering-based process from 3D Systems, also formerly from DTM Corp., which uses polymer coated
steel powder. The resultant green part is burned out, sintered and infiltrated with bronze in secondary furnace operations to
produce a fully-dense mold with about 70% steel content. The process has been greatly improved over the years to improve accuracy
and resolution, and reduce stairstepping. The latter are critical improvements for hard tools because it doesn't make much sense
to be able to quickly produce a hard steel tool if lengthy hand finishing and final machining eat up that advantage compared to
CNC.
EOS offers a similar process called DirectTool. Secondary sintering and burnout cycles in a furnace are not required because the
parts produced are already at 95% density. EOS has also paid a great deal of attention to limiting the amount of secondary
finishing required and they claim that customers often use their molds for production after simply a quick shot peening. EOS also
offers an automated process for surface treatment called Micro Shot Peening.
These processes offer the greatest benefit for small, complex geometry parts that would be difficult to machine. Conformal cooling
channels can be incorporated into the molds which should last for hundreds of thousands of shots of almost any plastic.
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