Evaluation of the potential of tool materials for the cold forming of advanced high strength steels

The increasing relevance of lightweight design intensifies the use of advanced high strength steels (AHSS). However, the use of AHSS causes higher stresses on the forming tools, thus reducing tool life and making it impossible to achieve the aspired process reliability. Since there is no reliable information on the wear behavior of tool materials for the forming of AHSS, this study aims to investigate wear and wear development of different tool materials. For this purpose, a strip drawing test with drawbead geometry is used as a model test. Continuous measurements of forces, temperatures of tool and sheet metal, and the roughness of sheet metal allow accurate and detailed analyses of wear. The investigation shows distinct differences in wear resistance of the tested tool materials and reveals characteristic wear development. Furthermore, the results of this study broaden knowledge on dependencies between tool wear, process temperature, and surface changes.