Defect and Diffusion Forum Vol. 404

Abstract: Shear-clinching allows the joining by forming of dissimilar materials with high differences between their mechanical properties without additional fasteners. Since the lower joining partner is indirectly shear cut during the process, even ultra-high strength materials can be joined. However, the cutting of the high-strength materials as well as the extrusion of the upper joining partner leads to high process forces and therefore to high tool loads. This applies in particular for the die, which is highly stressed during the cutting phase and therefore plastically deformed. Within the scope of this work, the influence of the occurring wear on the formation of the joint and its load-bearing capacity is analyzed for a scope of 500 strokes. For this purpose, press hardened 22MnB5 is used as lower joining partner. Its high strength leads to the plastic deformation of the cutting edge, which increases within the first 200 strokes. Afterwards only minor changes occur. Yet, no effect of the occurring wear on the joint formation and the joint strength, which was tested under shear and tensile load, could be determined. Functioning joints could still be produced for more than 500 strokes as the load-bearing capacity remained on a comparable level.

Abstract: Lubricant-free deep drawing is motivated by the avoidance of using environmentally harmful lubricants as well as the potential for shortening the process chain by eliminating lubricant application and component cleaning. Central challenges of dry deep drawing are a significant increase in friction as well as in adhesive tool wear due to a lack of a separating lubricant layer between tool and workpiece. An approach to meet these challenges is the modification of the tools through diamond-like coatings. Based on findings from laboratory tests, a-C:H and ta-C coatings were selected and their effectiveness in overcoming these challenges was demonstrated in single stroke tests in previous research. In order to use the process-specific advantages of forming technology, high tool life is required. In this context, this research aims at investigating the application behavior of a-C:H and ta-C coatings during lubricant-free deep drawing of a high number of components made of the aluminum alloy AA5182. For this purpose, a new wear test rig is applied, which enables the time and material efficient production of high quantities. Numerical methods are utilized to identify the drawing die radius as well as the blank holder as the highest loaded areas. Based on these findings, the wear of the coatings as well as that of an uncoated tool as a reference is analyzed in these areas by optical and tactile measurements. In addition, the influence of tool wear on the component surface quality is determined. It is proven that the ta-C coating increases the tool life from 10 components in uncoated condition up to 3,000 components.

Abstract: Cold forming, particularly forward impact extrusion, is used for mass production of steel components. To ensure robust forming processes, the workpieces are usually phosphated and then soaped as well as mineral oil-based lubricants are used. As these lubricants are often harmful to the environment and health, alternative approaches are to be investigated from an ecological, economic and legislative perspective. To achieve dry, lubricant-free cold forming of steel, two approaches are being pursued here. The tool-sided approach focuses on self-lubricating hard coatings, which are deposited on the forming tools by means of physical vapor deposition (PVD). The developed coating system CrAlN+Mo:S is synthesized in an industrial coating unit by a hybrid sputtering process, which combines direct current (DC) and high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS) technology. The coating consists of a hard matrix CrAlN which is modified by Mo and S to provide friction reduction due to the in situ formation of MoS₂ reaction layers under tribological load. The workpiece-sided approach focuses on the surface structuring by shot peening with various peening materials and particle shapes. In order to evaluate the influence of the self-lubricating tool coating CrAlN+Mo:S and the various workpiece topographies, dry full forward impact extrusion tests were carried out in an industrial scale with coated and uncoated tools. On the one hand, a one-shouldered die geometry and on the other hand a two-shouldered die geometry were tested. The field trials reveal that for both die geometries, the tool coating significantly reduces the punch force and the wear compared to the uncoated dies. Depending on the workpiece topography, it was shown that a smoother surface leads to reduced adhesive wear. Furthermore, it was proven that the dies with an opening diameter of D = 31.4 mm and an outlet diameter of d = 20.7 mm could be coated continuously over a length of l = 50 mm on the entire inner surface. After the dry field trials, the CrAlN+Mo:S coating remained completely intact. Hence, the developed coating system CrAlN+Mo:S exhibits great potential to conduct dry, lubricant-free cold forming of steel at industrial scale.

Abstract: The machining of difficult-to-cut materials such as titanium plays a key role in several industries such as aerospace or medical. Approaches to overcome many difficulties when machining these materials can be an appropriate coating system for cemented carbide cutting tools. However, the atmosphere under which machining takes place, influencing the chemical tool wear, has not been taken into consideration. This work examines the tribochemical wear resistance of TiN, TiAlN and CrAlN coated carbide tools under different atmospheric conditions when cutting Ti6Al-4V. Air, technically pure argon and silane-doped argon is used to determine the influence of different oxygen levels on the wear behaviour of the tools. It has been found that oxidation of tools and tool coatings plays a significant role in tool wear when dry cutting titanium. Best results were generated using CrAlN and uncoated inserts where an increase in tool life up 50 % can be achieved when cutting in oxygen levels corresponding to extreme high vacuum (XHV) adequate atmospheres by using silane-doped argon. The benefits of XHV adequate atmospheres also have an effect on TiAlN-and TiN based coatings, but the chemical interaction of Ti element in the coating with the workpiece material, which presumably reduces wear resistance of cutting tools, cannot be outweighted or equalised by applying oxygen free atmospheres.

Abstract: Nano-composite (NCD) and multi-layered (MLD) diamond coatings deposited on cemented carbide tools are often applied in machining of non-ferrous materials. A critical issue for their wear behavior, especially in cutting processes in which interrupted repetitive loads are applied such as milling, is the fatigue strength. The latter parameter is significantly affected by the level of residual stresses in their diamond film structure. For investigating such an issue, untreated as well as annealed for 8h vacuum NCD and MLD coatings of the same thicknesses were produced. Inclined impact tests supported by appropriate FEA models were conducted for calculating the level of the residual stresses and for determining the critical impact force for the fatigue damage after 10⁶ impacts. Moreover, the wear behavior of diamond coated inserts was investigating in milling aluminum foam. According to the attained results, the reduction of the residual stresses in the diamond film structure contributes to a significant increase of the fatigue strength and coated tool life for both examined cases. Moreover, due to the enhanced tribological properties of NCD films, an improved wear behavior is registered compared to the MLD ones, when both coatings possess the same level of residual stresses.

Abstract: Recently, stress, strain, strain-rate dependent curves for cemented carbide have become an established tool for evaluating the mechanical properties. In this paper, related strain-rate dependent data of a K05 insert were employed to define the developed stress and strain fields occurring in the compound coating-substrate at impact forces of various durations. In this way, the occurring maximum strains at various impact loads and times were analytically calculated. These maximum values and related fatigue endurance coating strain-rate dependent limits were consequently used to validate published coating fatigue critical impact forces associated with certain impact times.

Abstract: In this study a novel inverse hybrid experimental-simulative approach to the determination of the thermal tool load as a function of the coating properties during orthogonal turning of AISI4140 with Cr_1-xAl_xN-coated cemented carbide tools is presented. The approach consists of an experimental determination of the internal tool temperatures by means of fiber-optic pyrometry as input for an inverse FEM-based simulation algorithm to calculate the surface temperatures. Based on a parameter study, the coating thickness s and the thermal conductivity of the coating λ_c were identified as the main factors influencing the thermal tool load. The combined influence of these properties was described via the thermal resistance R. It could be shown that the average thermal load on the tool surface increases with increasing thermal resistance R.

Abstract: Residual stress measurements directly in the coated cutting edge are not possible with X-ray diffraction (XRD) due to the diameter of the X-ray beam. On the other hand, Raman microscopy enables measurements on the micrometer scale. Parameter variations in the PVD process were used to provide different residual stress states in (Al,Ti)N coatings on carbide cutting tools. They were examined by XRD in regions that can be reliably measured. The same area was then examined by Raman microscopy to determine the relationship of Raman peaks to the residual stress. Local high-resolution Raman measurements were then taken at the cutting edge and further influences on the Raman peak position besides residual stresses were excluded. In order to analyze the relationship between Raman peak shift and residual stress state, measurements were performed during a bending load. Finally, an outlook on further investigations is given.

Abstract: Highly conductive copper alloys are used for several tools in casting and welding technology. In order to improve the poor wear resistance of these alloys, metal matrix composite (MMC) layers were generated by laser melt injection (LMI). During LMI, a weld pool is induced on a substrate by a laser beam and a wear-resistant filler material is injected into this weld pool by a powder nozzle. In contrast to laser cladding, the filler material remains in the solid state and the substrate works as matrix material. Thereby, specific material properties of the substrate - e.g. a high thermal conductivity - can be provided not only in the core of the part but also within the coating. Fused tungsten carbide (FTC) was used as reinforcing material. It was shown that homogeneous MMC layers out of the copper alloy Hovadur^® CNCS and FTC can be produced by laser melt injection. High process velocities of 8.75 m/min could be reached. For assessing the wear resistance, oscillating wear tests with counterparts made of steel were carried out and the wear height and the wear volume were determined. The particle reinforcement lead to a significant increase in wear resistance. Only one wear mechanism - abrasion - was identified.