FortiPhy™ Thin Film Tool Coatings from Phygen
Extend Life of Precision Dies in Stamping Applications Without
Peeling
 Stamping
processes, such as piercing, notching, and blanking, produce
high-quality precision parts at high production rates. When
combined with lancing, coining, or folding operations, complex
parts can be made from one piece of metal, often without the
need for secondary alignment and assembly operations. Tough
dies, large presses, and high impact are used to cut and bend
a variety of materials. In a typical stamping line, the material
is a roll of strip metal, which is sheared, blanked, and folded
into finished parts. Because the metal grain structure tends
to follow part contours, stamping produces stronger parts
than those typically produced by machining. In addition, stamping
processes usually use less coolant and generate less scrap
metal.
To achieve efficient production rates, stamping operations
must balance the material (alloy, hardness, thickness), machine
(tonnage, stroke, feed), and tooling (dies, punches, anvils).
After the press is set up and running, downtime caused by
tool wear becomes the biggest roadblock to profitable production
runs.
Stamping dies require precise clearances and sharp edges
to maintain productive stamping rates, and to ensure that
parts meet inspection requirements for size, burr height,
and form radius. Soft metals such as aluminum, and complex
dual materials such as brass on steel, can slow production
and cause welding, galling, and tool failure. Thick or hardened
materials can cause rapid tool wear.
Uncoated tools can become dull and fail quickly. Ordinary
coatings can help, but the combination of high impact, heat,
and tough material can overcome the adhesive strength of the
coatings and peel them off in a matter of hours.
Surface engineering is critical to extending the life of
precision stamping dies. High-performance
FortiPhy™ coatings from Phygen can help manufacturers keep
critical tooling running longer. FortiPhy UltraEndurance™
coating is applied using a patented process that ensures an
unprecedented level of process control and coating uniformity.
A key benefit of FortiPhy’s nanocrystalline microstructure
is its low coefficient of friction, for improved release properties.
The nanocrystalline structure is free of pores, columnar structures,
and inclusions, any of which could lead to cracks, corrosion,
and uneven wear.
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