February 2021 Volume 3

FORGING RESEARCH

FDMC Projects in the Innovative Forging Technology (IFT) Program By Dekland Barnum

Over the last 20 years, The Department of Defense (DOD) Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program portfolio has included focused research and development within the forging industry through the Forging Defense Manufacturing Consortium (FDMC), funded by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). In order to continue to build on those research efforts into the future, DLA released a public Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) in the fall of 2019 to support future research efforts to strengthen critical DLA forging supply chains. FDMC worked closely with our board, the Forging Industry Association (FIA), the Forging Industry Educational and Research Foundation (FIERF), small businesses, and principal forging researchers and businesses across the country to construct the project proposals. Through this collaboration, an established, longstanding partnership with these organizations and industry FDMC submitted a full portfolio of projects. Six of these projects were awarded by DLA under the new Innovative Forging Technology (IFT) Program and will span the next three to five years of forging research and development. These projects will deliver innovative approaches aligned with both DLA’s mission and the FIA Technology Roadmap, while leveraging FDMC’s 20 years of proven technology transition. Each project requires forge shop engagement and participation while developing and testing the solution to support project findings with empirical data. By following this well-proven plan, DLA ensures that ManTech projects enhance manufacturing technology transition, and are coordinated across all relevant DOD components. The FDMC projects included in the newly awarded IFT program are summarized below. Innovative Alloy Coatings in Forging Die Applications Novel high entropy alloys (HEAs), complex concentrated alloys (CCAs), and shape memory alloys (SMAs) will be evaluated as die coating materials using direct metal deposition additive manufacturing techniques (laser coating) for forging die repair to extend die wear life and reduce costs. Applying a thin layer of these laser-coated alloys to the die cavity has significant implications for the forging industry and can significantly improve die life by improving wear resistance. By design, HEA, CCA, and SMA materials typically have higher corrosion resistance and mechanical properties as compared to traditional die materials. Combined assessment of modeled thermal predictions along with microstructural observations help provide better insights

into understanding effects of laser processing on microstructural and phase evolution during laser assisted coating synthesis. The proposed project builds upon promising results from a previous FIERF micro-grant where laser coating an HEA onto an H13 steel die-head more than doubled its life. Continuing this research will determine ideal laser-coating conditions and identify better choices In the forging industry, many pre-forging processes include exposure to high temperatures and potentially harmful environments. Unless protected while heating to forging temperature, steel billets decarburize and oxidize extensively. Without proper measures to prevent decarburization and oxidation, it is likely that the forged steel part will not perform as desired. This project will leverage the initial findings of the FIERF study to conduct a more detailed evaluation of commercially available coatings. This project will evaluate commercially available coatings for their ability to prevent the oxidation and decarburization that occurs during pre-heating of forging billets. Our team envisions the use of automation and robotics to reduce the cost of application, improve cycle times, and to provide additional safety to the operator. This project will benefit the forging industry by enabling higher quality, reduced costs, and decreased lead times for forged steel parts, as well as improving overall part performance and operator safety. Evaluation of Permanent Coatings and Surface Texturing Prior to producing a forging, lubricants are applied to the faces of the die, to reduce friction between the die and the workpiece, help metal fill the die cavity, and prevent galling and metal build-up on the die surface. Although lubricants are currently required for the forging process, there are a number of disadvantages that are associated with their use, including reduced part quality, decreased die life, increased cycle time, and environmental issues associated with the cleanliness of the workspace. The objective of this project is to reduce or eliminate forging lubricants. Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and other coatings themselves have a minimal impact on forging die life, but that they may benefit the forging process in other ways, including by minimizing friction. The innovative part of this project, therefore, is to utilize coatings and/or surface texturing to provide permanent lubricious surfaces on the forging dies, and thereby reduce the need for conventional lubricants. The exploratory effort funded by FIERF and performed at CSM has been the first attempt to utilize thin-film coatings to of HEAs/CCAs used in forging conditions. Evaluation of Oxidation-Resistant Coatings

FIA MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2021 75