Die Wear Evaluation for Stamping TRIP700 and DP980 B-Pillar

As more and more high strength and advanced high strength steels are being utilized into automotive body panels, structural beams and rails to reduce weight to meet the Café (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) requirements, wear of stamping dies is becoming a major issue. Many types of coatings/surface treatments such as: thermal spray, ion nitriding, chrome plating, PVD, CVD, and TD coatings are being used in stamping plants. Identifying a cost-effective coating and the die material based on the types of the advanced high strength steels is difficult since there is little data available. None the less on the real die. This paper will discuss the evaluation of the coatings and die materials on a B-pillar draw die. The coatings and die materials were chosen based on laboratory design of experiment tests and the typical die materials used in stamping plants.