Improvement of Tribology in Sheet Metal Forming of High-Strength Steel Sheets by PVD-Coated Dies

During sheet metal formation, the high strength of sheet material leads to high contact stress between the die and blank material, which results in increased die wear. Moreover, the reduction in the use of lubricants because of environmental concerns has led to greater wear of sheet metal–forming dies. It is important to understand the tribological behavior of the blank die contact so that steps can be taken to reduce the die wear to an acceptable level. Die wear reduction is possible by using alternative die materials, modifying die geometry, or by creating a wear-resistant surface on sheet metal–forming dies using Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings.