The maintenance of cold-work die steels must cover the entire lifecycle-pre-use, in-use, and storage. Standardized operational practices can significantly extend service life and prevent premature failure.
Pre-Use Inspection and Preparation
Visual Defect Check: Before production, inspect cutting edges for minor defects such as splits, nicks, or rolled edges; grind and repair these issues before putting the die into service.
Assembly Precision Verification: Ensure guide pillars, guide bushings, and locating pins are secure and that component clearances are uniform to prevent misalignment or jamming during operation.
Performance Status Confirmation: Verify the results of prior annealing and heat treatment to ensure uniform hardness across the raw material and the absence of internal defects such as laminations, sand holes, or hidden structural flaws.
Operational Maintenance During Use
Standardized Force Application: Apply pressure smoothly and gradually; avoid sudden impacts, excessive force, or overloading, which can cause uneven stress leading to part wrinkling or die cracking.
Lubrication Management: Apply specialized high-temperature grease at standard intervals to prevent workpiece scoring or die adhesion caused by inadequate lubrication. Lubrication intervals can be estimated using the formula: Interval = Die Material Hardness × Number of Work Cycles / 5000.
Operational Protection: Protect the die steel from excessive impact and abnormal wear; regularly clear material debris and contaminants from the die cavity to keep working surfaces clean.
Dynamic Hardness Monitoring: Use an electric Rockwell hardness tester in the workshop for periodic checks; if the die hardness drops by 2 HRC, schedule repairs or replacement promptly.
