Project: New generation of forging tools
In recent years, larger, more complex parts have been successfully cold forged due to improvements in forming equipment, die and workpiece materials, die coatings, and process design. In addition to the savings in energy costs, modern cold forging enables parts to be produced to near-net shape. _x000D_Working conditions of forging tools have become severer with the years and it has been required for forging tools used to this end to increase the hardness, wear resistance and heat resistance. A typical form of the tools exhibits an assembling in which a Cemented Carbides (CC) or High Speed Steel Insert (HSS) mounted into the casing. In these CC and HSS tools, the surface of the insert is ordinarily coated by a CVD/PVD methods._x000D_Generally, forging tools are required to be excellent in both of wear resistance and toughness. In the case of the coated inserts, however, there is well known that if the thickness of the hard coating is increased so as to improve the wear resistance, the toughness is deteriorated. From the other side a relatively high friction coefficient of coatings results in high friction losses and low durability of coating films. _x000D_Lubricants play a key role in cold forging as they reduce the high frictional forces occurring at the tool–workpiece interface. Improved lubrication systems are needed, because they will help make net-shape production possible and affordable. _x000D_The design of tools and the most known wear-resistant tool coatings cannot meet modern requirements due to their limited life-time and poor lubricating properties under severe operation conditions of modern forging technologies. _x000D_The CO Project goal is to reach the best balance between the cost of forging tools and their performance by applying a new self-lubricant tool with novel multilayer nanocomposite coatings providing low friction coefficient and optimum surface properties, which will help to achieve increased in 3 times tool durability and high forging precision. _x000D_This goal will be reached though the solution of the following tasks:_x000D_-design of cold forging tools containing reservoirs for solid lubricants and development of method for subsequent filling of reservoirs with solid lubricant MoS2/WS2 nanoparticles which allows to achieve the ultra low friction coefficients (0.03-0.05);_x000D_-development of new type of multilayer nanostructured gradient coatings combining the following properties: significantly increased chemical and heat resistance to avoid an adhesion wear and to prevent oxidation; high fracture toughness to avoid cohesive and adhesive fracture; low friction coefficient. The following metallic materials (Me) will be used to synthesize the carcass/matrix: Ti; Ti-Al; Ti-Al-V; Zr; V; Ti-Zr, etc. The introduction of nitrogen or oxygen in the process of depositing the above composites will lead to the growth the percentage of hard phase due to forming nitrides or oxides which, finally, compound carbonitride-C or oxycarbide-C that is rigid carcass. Incorporation of yttrium or chromium will prevent oxidation and heat resistances. Embedding homogeneously distributed soft carbon nano-clusters into various hard materials (carbonitrides, oxycarbides) will form a tough coating carcass. The wear-resistance of the tool grows due to forming the coating with nanostructure or amorphous structure;_x000D_-wide range tests of the developed tools under real industrial conditions of cold forging processes; optimisation of tool design, coating and solid lubricant technologies;_x000D_-development of measures for successful introduction of novel cold forging tools on the market within 1-2 years after the Project completion._x000D_The CO P of the Consortium is a R&D performing SME J-VST from Czech Republic. J-VST is specialised in cold forging technologies including development and production of tools for forging operations. The CO goals of J-VST are: (1) introduction on the market new generation of tools with improved in 3 times durability under conditions of high precision forming operations; increase forming processes productivity and improvement their economic efficiency. CO involvement of J-VST is design of new cold forging tools and their industrial testing._x000D_The research P from Poland (INOP) will perform micro- nanostructures characterisation (SEM, TEM, AFM, Tribology) of coating and tool material to optimize coating technology. It will develope self-lubricating concept of new forging tolls based on application of solid lubricant nanoparticles. _x000D_The R&D performing SME Gazela (coating center) from Slovenia will perform deposition of coating on samples and tools and it will introduce new coating technology on the market._x000D_The R&D performing SME IFUDS will develop the concept of multilayer nanocomposite coatings using plasma diagnostic instruments and modern modeling approaches. IFUDS will introduce on the market system for monitoring/control of coating deposition by hybrid PVD/CVD technology.
| Acronym | NEGFORT (Reference Number: 4249) |
| Duration | 01/09/2008 - 31/08/2011 |
| Project Topic | The CO Project goal is to develope new self-lubricant forging tools with multilayer nanocomposite coatings providing low friction coefficient and optimum surface properties, which will help to achieve increased in 3 times tool durability and high forging precision. |
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Project Results (after finalisation) |
The CO results of the Project are the followings:_x000D_• The self-lubricating cold forging tools of new design containing micro-reservoirs for solid lubricants have been made, tried and applied in the industrial environment (JVST Co, TKZ Polmo, INOP Powder Metallurgy pilot plant); _x000D_• The technologies of manufacturing MoS2/WS2 nanoparticle – microparticle mixtures by rolling cleavage technique and subsequent filling of micro-reservoirs with solid lubricant nanoparticles have been elaborated and applied for manufacturing of the real cold forging tools;_x000D_• Two types of multilayer nanocomposite coatings have been made and applied for the real cold forging tools, that allowed to increase their durability;_x000D_• Applying a new self-lubricant tool with novel multilayer nanocomposite coatings result in decrease of friction coefficient up to 0.04-0.05 and increase of tool life time by 2-10 times (depends on a type of the tool)._x000D_ |
| Network | Eurostars |
| Call | Eurostars Cut-Off 1 |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Gazela d.o.o. Krško | Partner | Slovenia |
| 4 | IfU Diagnostic Systems GmbH | Partner | Germany |
| 4 | J - VST, s.r.o. | Coordinator | Czech Republic |
| 4 | Metal Forming Institute | Partner | Poland |