NanoZunKonLub – Application of nanoparticle enhanced coatings for scale conditioning in die forging processes in order to optimize the tribological system

Situation:

• Scale formation of 1 to 2 % during reheating of the material for die forging process lead to material losses.
• Surface defects are caused by forged-in scale residues.
• Wear of dies is caused by highly abrasive properties of the scale.

Solution:

• Selection of suitable nanoparticles with properties to minimise scale formation and to condition the scale as a kind of lubricant.
• Screening of various coating concepts in lab scale and analysis of the amount of scale formed and the influence of the scale on the wear mechanisms of the dies.
• Analysis and validation of the interdependencies between coating and substrate.
• Conduction of industrial forging trials.

Operational benefit:

• Conditioning of scale in order to change its function and allow a utilisation of the conditioned scale as a kind of lubricant during first forming step.
• Minimisation of scale formation during inductive reheating by 30 %.
• Minimisation of the wear coefficient by 30 % and increase in service life of the dies (approx. doubled)

• coating
• descaling
• Minimisation of scale formation
• optimisation of the tribological system
• oxide scale
• Scale conditioning
• scale detection