Towards optimization in the selection of surface coatings and treatments to control wear in metal-forming dies and tools

Abstract

Sheetmetal forming is one of the more important manufacturing processes employed in many industries, especially in the automotive components and white-goods sectors. The relative motion between the work material and the tool material leads to die failure. Failure modes can vary from ‘normal wear’, involving accepted life levels, to catastrophic wear, causing often unforeseen, sudden failure of the die. It is the unpredictability of this latter event which presents a particular problem to the optimum and most efficient use of computer-controlled machines. This paper reviews the various surface treatments and coatings used in metal-forming applications and considers the rationale behind the selection of such surface-engineering techniques. It focuses on the various observed wear mechanisms encountered in metal-forming dies and tools and their significance in relation to the most appropriate selection of materials and surface coatings and treatments for optimum performance.