Page 43 - MetalForming August 2013

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MetalForming/August 2013 41
Tooling Technology
bed. And, this year, GM introduces full-sized pickups with aluminum hoods and suspension components in some models. To meet higher demand, Alcoa announced in April that it expects to triple sales of aluminum sheet to automak- ers by 2015. And the trend won’t let up there—by 2025, aluminum is predicted to double its 2008 share in the auto- motive-materials mix, finds a recent study commissioned by the Aluminum in Transportation Group of the US Alu- minum Association.
This market shift means that metalformers used to prep- ping tooling for steel will have to get used to stamping alu- minum—a gummy material that can splinter when formed and contaminate the tooling. As a result of increased alu- minum forming, metalformers must ramp up preventive maintenance to ensure that the tooling stays clean, as par- ticles can quickly wear tools and damage coatings.
“Aluminum stampers must keep the tooling as clean as possible,” warns Hamell. “Without good preventive-main- tenance practices, shards will build up and begin breaking down the coating.”
Metalformers, die designers, builders and maintainers can opt for coatings that work exceptionally well on aluminum, such as DLC-Si, according to Hamell. DLC-Si provides hard- ness, wear resistance and slickness, with reportedly the low- est coefficient of friction among tool coatings, including conventional DLC.
Coating Performance Relies on Many Factors
“Coatings lock in the workmanship, good or bad.”
That is one idea that Hamell tries to get across to any- one looking to coat tools to maximize life and performance. The best coatings are only as good as their substrate mate- rials and their application. Even then, substrate prepara- tion is key. Remember, as Hamell says, coatings lock in workmanship.
“When you coat a part you want to ensure you prep the tool properly, which means a lot of work up front,” Hamell adds. “If the tool surface is not prepped properly the coating cannot attain adhesion, and it will wear off. So we pay atten- tion to preparing the surface, polishing the radii, etc., to ensure we have good adhesion. We take the time to know the substrate and its composition, and how it is heattreated and polished, along with other factors. A lot of people think that chrome fills in porosity, voids and inclusions. It does not; it just rides with those surface imperfections.”
Hamell offers one final word of caution: Coated tools work more quickly and smoothly than uncoated tools. The addition of coating requires a look at equipment settings for optimal forming performance.
“Changing a major variable—from an uncoated to a coat- ed tool—requires the stamping equipment to be adjusted accordingly,” says Hamell. “The timing of the press and other machinery must allow for the fact that coated tools runs differently than uncoated tools, and that lubrication needs are reduced.” MF