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Common surface treatment methods for molds
In addition to requiring high strength and toughness for mold applications, the surface properties of molds play a crucial role in determining their performance and service life. These surface characteristics include wear resistance, corrosion resistance, friction coefficient, fatigue resistance, and more. Relying solely on improving the base material to enhance these properties is often limited and costly. In contrast, surface treatment techniques can deliver significant improvements with relatively less effort, which is why this field has seen rapid development over the years.
Mold surface treatment involves systematically modifying the morphology, chemical composition, microstructure, and stress state of the mold surface through methods such as surface coating, surface modification, or combined treatments. These techniques aim to achieve the desired surface properties. Surface treatment can be categorized into several types: chemical methods, physical methods, physicochemical methods, and mechanical methods. While new technologies continue to emerge, the most commonly used methods in mold manufacturing are nitriding, carburizing, and hardening film deposition.
Nitriding, for instance, includes various techniques such as gas nitriding, ion nitriding, and liquid nitriding. Each method offers different advantages and can be tailored to suit the requirements of various steel grades and workpiece conditions. Due to its ability to produce surfaces with excellent performance, nitriding is well-suited for die steels and integrates smoothly with quenching processes. Additionally, since nitriding is performed at lower temperatures, there's no need for intense cooling afterward, resulting in minimal deformation. This makes nitriding one of the earliest and most widely used surface strengthening techniques in the mold industry.
Carburizing, on the other hand, aims to improve the overall toughness of the mold by enhancing the surface hardness and wear resistance. The technique involves using lower-grade materials that are then carburized and quenched, which reduces costs compared to using higher-grade materials. This approach is especially beneficial in cost-sensitive applications.
The most advanced film deposition technology is CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) and PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition). To improve the adhesion of the deposited films, enhanced versions of these technologies have been developed. Hardened film deposition was initially applied to cutting tools and measuring instruments, where it proved highly effective. Over time, it became a standard process in tool manufacturing. Molds began adopting this technology in the 1980s. However, due to the high cost of equipment and setup, it is still mainly used for precision and long-life molds. Establishing centralized heat treatment centers could significantly reduce these costs, making the technology more accessible. If more molds adopt this technique, it could greatly elevate the overall quality of mold manufacturing in China.
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Tags: surface treatment technology, mold manufacturing, carburizing, quenching, quenching process, surface properties
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