Influence of the milling strategy on the durability of forging tools

Abstract

The quality of a tool's surface has a direct influence on the number of well-produced parts. For the machining of an active tool surface, two technological processes are used: electrical discharge machining and high-speed milling. These two processes are used when machining new tools and for the repairing of used forging tools. In both cases, the material has already been thermally treated, so it has to be used for hard milling. Practical experience shows that the milling strategy has a big influence on the durability of a forging tool. This paper shows the influence of the CNC machining direction during high-speed milling on the durability of the engraving within the forging tool. In some cases the correct milling strategy can increase the durability of the forging tool by about one third. © 2011 Journal of Mechanical Engineering.