Hybrid surface treatment technology for increase of hot forging dies

Abstract

Hot working dies are influenced by three main factors causing their destruction: the cyclically changeable mechanical loads, intensive thermal shocks, as well as intensive friction, and erosion. Modification of surface properties with the use of hybrid plasma methods seems to be an effective way of improving its durability. The best known and widely used surface treatment hybrid technology is a combination of the nitriding process with the deposition of hard antiwear coatings by means of PVD methods. The designed composite layer “nitrided layer / Cr-CrN” was obtained with the use of the hybrid technology, which consist of ion nitriding followed by arc-evaporation coating deposition. The maintenance testing was performed on the forging dies employed for production of various parts in the automotive industry. The best durability was obtained for the dies used for the forging of rolling bearing tracks. In comparison with the durability of the dies subjected solely to the gas nitriding, nearly an increase of 600% in the durability was noticed.