Experimental Study of Adhesive Wear of a Holding Device Using a Cross Cylinders Tester

M. Vite Torres, E. A. Gallardo Hernndez*, Erik Cruz Ovando

SEPI, ESIME, ZACATENCO, IPN, Tribology Group Edif.. 5, Tercer Piso, Cubculo 23, U..P. Adolfo Lpez Mateos, Col. Lindavista, C.P. 07738, Mxico, D. F. Mxico.

Received Date Line (to be inserted by Production) (8 pt)

Abstract

Adhesive wear was identified in the cylinder of a holding device of a forming die system, which clamps and aligns a leaf spring to carry out a punch holing operation. To investigate the causes of the wear observed, an experimental study was carried out using AISI 5160 H and AISI 9840 R steels simulating the leaf spring and the cylinder of the holding device respectively. As a remedy to reduce wear, thermal chemical gas diffusion nitride hardening was applied on the AISI 9840 R material and tested against AISI 5160 H in dry and lubricated conditions. The results showed that applying nitriding, the wear rate reduced by around 97% in dry conditions compared to the untreated steel. In lubricated conditions the wear for treated and untreated was reduced by close to 98%.

Keywords: Adhesive Wear, Die Process, Leaf Spring.

1.

Introduction

In the present work, the fabrication of a hole in leaf springs is compromised. Two Cylindrical components used for aligning the leaf spring are wearing considerably due to the repeated punching operations. The operation is carried out up to 8500 times in 8hrs. However, the worn cylinders have to be replaced before 5000 repetitions. As a consequence, if the cylinders are not replaced then precision in the hole punching is affected and that the down time for replacing the cylinders is costly. The experimentation was focused on identifying the wear mode, selecting a suitable rig, proposing a hardening solution and finally, carrying out tests on specimens in dry and lubricated conditions.

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +52 55 57296000, Ext.: 54809. E-mail address: e.a.gallardo@hotmail.com (E A. Gallardo Hernndez)

2. Process Description

The leaf springs are held and aligned by two cylinders pneumatically to be punched by the press, leaving a hole with specific dimensions and tolerances. After this operation, the leaf spring is released and removed to be taken to the next fabrication process. In Figure 1 the cylinders aligning the leaf spring can be seen. Meanwhile, in Figure 2 a schematic view of the contact between a cylinder and the leaf spring edge at 90 can be observed.
Contact Area Cylinder

Leaf Spring

Fig. 1. Main components of the holing operation.

Fig. 2. Contact between the cylinder and the leaf spring.

3. Wear Scar Analysis

In Figure 3a an elliptical area of a worn cylinder can be seen. The Figure 3b shows the wear scar taken by an optical microscope. Adhesive wear damage is observed. The wear is initiated by the interfacial junctions that form between the cylinders and the leaf spring. When the load is applied the contact pressure became extreme. It is believed that yield stress is exceeded deforming plastically until increase the real contact area [1].
Elliptical Worn Area

Plastic Deformation a) b)

Fig. 3. Wear Scar in a cylinder a) Elliptical shape; b) Close view of wear scar features.

It is believed that weld joints are formed by the compressing action, exceeding the yield stress and deforming plastically until increase the real contact area. Once the leaf spring is removed, asperities joints share leaving some debris and some material transferred on the cylinders. Some deformed material is also fragmented and trapped into the contact by the subsequent leaf spring generating abrasive wear mechanisms of two and three bodies, which can be seen in the Figure 4a and 4b.

Indentations

Plastic deformation a)

Material transferred

Scratches by abrasive action

b)

Scratches

Fig. 4. a)Wear scar features plastic and abrasive wear, b)Scratches and material transferred.

4. Experimental Procedure

4.1 Test approach and apparatus

The cross cylinder tester was selected as it is suitable to simulate adhesive wear. It was thought from some potential tests, that the cross cylinder test method was the most appropriate. It was also thought that this test approach would be better than alternative tests, such as pin-on-disk (here a pin is held stationary and the disc rotates, the contact is a point and conformal), as it is better replicates the non conformal contact. The test apparatus consists of a solid cylinder as stationary wear element and the other solid cylinder as a rotating wear element that operates at 90. The stationary cylinder is mounted on a holder with a ball bearing in an arm. The rotating specimen is connected to a motor shaft. Figure 5a shows the rig and Figure 5b a schematic view of the crossed cylinders.
Load Geometry Contact

Stationary Rotating
a) b)

Fig. 5. a) Cross cylinder tester; b) Schematic representation of the two cylinders in contact [2].

4.2 Specimens

The top and bottom cylinder specimens were manufactured from AISI 9840 R (294Hv0.5kg) and AISI 5160 H (260Hv0.5kg) steels representing the cylinder in the die system and the leaf spring respectively. The dimensions are 12.7mm diameter and 102mm length. The diffusion of nitriding into the AISI 9840 R steel can be observed in Figure 6a. It is approximately 100m deep and 570HV0.5kg. A typical gas nitriding set up is observed in Figure 6b [1].

a)

b) Fig. 6. AISI 9840 R steel a) Thermal-chemical diffusion of nitriding; b)Gas nitrinding set up.

4.3 Test Parameters

The tests were carried out at 300rpm, 71N load applied giving 2.5GPa contact pressure. This value was deliberated selected as extreme Hertz contact condition for the tests in order to accelerate the wear process. For the lubricated tests, SAE 25W-60 engine oil was used. Each test was performed for 110mn. All the specimens were perfectly ultrasonically cleaned and weighed prior to testing. The surface roughness for the specimens was Ra 1.25m similar to the leaf spring and the cylinder.

5. Results

5.1 Wear Rate and Wear Coefficient

In Figure 7 the wear rate can be seen and wear coefficients calculated from the wear tests can be seen in [3]. The highest values were for the untreated steel follow by the treated steel. The lowest wear rate was obtained for untreated and treated AISI 9840 steel in lubricated condition.

Fig. 7.Wear rate

5.2 Wear Features

Pictures of the tested AISI 9840 R steel specimens are seen in Figure 8. A big wear scar was obtained for the untreated dry test (Figure 8a), following by a treated dry test (Figure 8b). The smallest wear scars were obtained in lubricated conditions for untreated and treated materials (Figure 8c and Figure 8d).
Wear Scars

a)

b)

c)

d)

Fig. 8. Wear scars for AISI 9840 R steel (3x) a) Dry untreated, b) Dry treated, c) Lubricated untreated, d) Lubricated treated.

Figure 9a shows that some material has been transferred from the counterface and wear debris produced,
b) some cracking is also observed. Figure 8b shows a little material transferred and some ploughing action. In

lubricated conditions in Figure 8c for treated and untreated, ploughing, transferred material and cracks were a) observed.
Cracking Transferred Material Transferred Material Ploughing
a)

Transferred material

Wear Debris

Ploughing

Cracking

b)

c)

Fig. 9. Micrographics of AISI 9840 R steel a) untreated dry test; b) lubricated and untreated ; c) treated dry steel.

6. Discussion

The wear scar examination showed that mild adhesive wear is generated through all the operation life of the cylinder. However, the wear is related to the number of times the holing operation is carried out. Thus, it is thought that the contact pressure has not had a significant relation to the rapid process of wear. Abrasive wear was laso indetified may be due to the material deformed and fragmented by the repeared preasing and unpresing process of holding the leaf spring.

The wear rate was high for the untreated AISI 9840 R steel. In the test the AISI 5150 H steel is continuously in contact producing a grooving action and transferring material onto the AISI 9840 R steel. For the treated AISI 9840, the wear rate was low compared to the untreated dry test. The lowest wear rate was in lubricated conditions compared to the dry conditions tests for the treated and untreated material. Though the results are very promising the option of applying lubricant instead of nitriding in the actual components was discarded by the company. They preferred to continue carrying out the holing operation with no lubricant at all. It was believed that a lubricated system may increase the maintenance costs, since nitriding the actual components is more convenient changing the cylinders in case of failure. They did not consider the cost of the thermal chemical diffusion process whatsoever.

7. Conclusions

1. The overall work has shown that looking into a very local area of some mechanical components is possible to propose a solution to a wear problem based on an experimental investigation . 2. The wear scar examination for the actual worn cylindrical components has shown mainly mild adhesive wear as consequence of the number of times the holing operation is carried out. 3. The rig used has shown that it is a suitable rig in order to replicate the contact geometry and produce adhesive wear. 4The AISI 9840 R steel sample presented the highest wear rate in dry conditions. 5The AISI 9840 R steel with nitriding showed low wear rate compared to the untreated sample in dry conditions and close to the tests in lubricated conditions. 6. The applications of nitrding in the actual unworn components presented similar performance compared to the results in the experimental work, increasing their period of wear life almost double. However, it was impossible to have access to the company report. Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the IPN, CONACYT and San Luis Rasinni for the support given to the investigation.

References
[1].B. Bharat, B. K. Gupta, Handbook of Tribology, McGraw Hill, USA 1991. [2] M. Bautista Santiago. Diseo de una Maquina Tribolgica de Configuracin Geomtrica de Cilindros Cruzados para Anlisis de desgaste por deslizamiento, Mxico, 2005. [3] J. William, Engineering Tribology, Cambrige University Press, USA 2005.