Estimation of plastic deformation and abrasive wear in warm forging dies

In warm forging, die life is affected by abrasive wear and plastic deformation and may be shortened considerably due to thermal softening of the die surface caused by forging temperature and pressure. In this study, a methodology is developed for estimating abrasive die wear and plastic deformation in a warm forging operation, using a tempering parameter. This methodology consists of: (a) determination of the steady state die temperatures using multiple FE simulations, (b) using the calculated temperatures to predict the plastic deformation of the dies, (c) measuring the surface profile of the worn dies using a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), (d) identifying the wear profiles caused by abrasive wear and plastic deformation, and (e) determining the abrasive wear parameters that can be used for future estimation of die wear in warm forging. The predictions have been compared with experimental results and it was concluded that this method can be used for estimation of die failure (wear and plastic deformation) in hot/warm forging.