Rapid tooling includes fast and efficient technologies to manufacture tools and tool inserts to produce polymer or metal components. Additive manufacturing (AM) is an established method within the rapid tooling offering advanced capabilities regarding the design of geometries and internal structures. However, the properties of additive manufactured tools (and parts in general) do not reach the same properties as cast and subsequently formed components. This is particularly critical for the surface layer of the tools as this is exposed to high alternating thermomechanical loads leading to stress concentration, cracks, wear and fatigue in metal forming processes. Therefore, the application of rapid tooling is restricted regarding the forming conditions and usually limited to a small batch size. The overall objective of the project is the development of a new, hybrid process chain for the manufacturing of durable and advanced rapid tooling for metal forming consisting of an optimized AM, a reduced machining, a precise heat treatment and an additional surface finishing by forming to improve the dimensional accuracy, surface integrity and mechanical properties regarding wear and fatigue.