The wear analysis and life prediction of Cr12MoV alloy steel hammer dies during the radial forging process

Abstract

Radial forging is widely utilized in defense, aerospace, and automotive industries. However, understanding of hammer die wear during radial forging traditionally relies heavily on practical experience and lacks detailed research. This paper proposed a method for predicting hammer die failure during radial forging by using finite element simulations combined with the Archard wear model. The feasibility of this method was validated through profilometer measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of the worn hammer dies obtained from practical production. Through the mutual validation of simulations and experiments, the study found that when the hammer die material is specially treated Cr12MoV alloy steel, under the investigated operating conditions, the maximum surface wear of the hammer die exceeded 0.4 mm after approximately 13 cumulative hours of operation. This wear significantly affected the formation of the internal profile of the workpiece, at which point the hammer die was considered to have failed. The study deepens the understanding of the details of hammer die wear in the radial forging process and fills a gap in the prediction of hammer die failure during this process.