Improving the forming tools performance by applying advanced methods of surface engineering

TEASER Metal forming is a production technology widely used in all Europe. Many of daily used products contains formed metal components. Changes in workpiece materials, manufacturing processes and even government regulations catalyze parallel advances in forming tooling technology. The project is focused on developement and verifying a new advanced technology(-ies) of forming tools surfaces improvement in order to obtain better performances, lower costs and lower environmental impacts of formed parts production processes. It aims to demonstrate the technical, economical and environmental feasibility of advanced forming tool surfaces treatment by laser micro-structuring and ion beam micro/nano structuring to improve the stability of forming processes.

ORGANISATION PROFILE Institute of Production Technologies (Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava) is a scientific and pedagogical workplace, which is aimed at research and development in the sphere of high-tech manufacturing technologies. It deals with the research, development and optimization of new technologies of industrial production oriented particularly on the technological processing of advanced technical materials. The central spheres of scientific research are advanced casting technologies (vacuum melting and casting of advanced casting materials), forming (advanced technologies of sheet and bulk forming), welding and soldering (technologies of solid state welding: explosion, diffusion, FSW and welding and soldering with concentrated power sources: LB, EB, IB) and machining technologies (5-axis machining of complex shape parts, advanced machining technologies - laser micromachining, ion beam machining and ultrasound machining).

ORGANISATION PROFILE Advanced Technologies Research Institute (Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava) is primarily focused on materials engineering in the field of ion and plasma technologies, automation and ICT implementation in industrial processes or research field at all, e.g.: nanotechnology and nanostructures, specific hardware & software development, bioengineering and health, vision and image processing, simulation and modeling. The areas of materials research include theoretical modeling using ab-initio methods, either at very accurate level treating small systems at the molecular scale, or DFT methods concerning bulk materials and surfaces.

PROPOSAL INTRODUCTION (I) Vision: The objective of the project is to develop and verify a new advanced technology(ies) of forming tools surfaces treatment in order to optimize the tribological conditions at the metal/forming tool interface, thermal relationships in the forming zone, surface integrity of the formed part and forming tool lifetime. Motivation: The proposed advanced surface technologies can lead to better performances, lower costs and lower environmental impacts of forming processes. Content: R&D of tailored-made surface micro/nanotextures, optimization of technology of laser beam and ion beam texturing applicable in forming tooling.

PROPOSAL INTRODUCTION (II) Expected outcome: new types of forming tool surface micro/nanotextures for tool performance, tool lifetime and form parts quality improvement, Impacts: tool lifetime improvement – impact on total tool costs reduction, positive impact on the integrity of formed part surfaces, huge positive environmental impact – elimination of lubricants. Schedule: Schedule will be arrange with the partner(s); duration: 36 months.

PARTNERS Current Consortium: Institute of production technologies, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology (SK) Advanced Technologies Research Institute, Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in Trnava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (SK) Eiben, Co., Ltd., Vlkanová (SK) – sheet metal parts producer Partner search: SML enterprise (forming tool producer, form parts producer); UNI and/or R&D institutes having expertise in micro/nanomachining, surface engineering/tribology

CONTACT INFO Contact info: prof. Phd. MSc. Peter Šugár Slovak University of Technology Faculty of Materials Science and Technology J. Bottu 25 917 24 Trnava, Slovakia E-mail: peter.sugar@stuba.sk