• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2013

When stamping ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS), the phenomenon of galling, which corresponds to a transfer of material from the sheet to the tool surface, occurs because of the high contact pressure between tool and workpiece. Galling leads to increased friction, unstable interface conditions, scratches on the sheet and the tool surfaces and, eventually, premature tool surface failures. Therefore, a simple and accurate evaluation method for tool scratching is necessary for the selection of tool material and coating, as well as for a better optimization of process conditions such as blank holder force and die radius. In this study, the pin-on-disc (PODT) and pin-on-flat surface (POFST) tests are conducted to quantitatively evaluate scratch-related tool life for stamping of UHSS. The variation of the friction coefficient is used as an indicator of scratch resulted from galling. The U-channel ironing test (UCIT) is performed in order to validate the results of the friction tests. This study shows that the POFST test provides a good quantitative estimation of tool life based on the occurrence of scratch.