Characterization of lubricants for metal forming by means of an oscillating tribo-test-rig

Cold metal forming is a versatile and very efficient technology in the manufacture of metal components. In cold metal forming processes high pressure is generated at the tool-workpiece interface, so that good lubrication is required to reduce wear. This improves tool life and the quality of products. The lubricants used in the forming processes usually contain appropriate basis oils with anti-wear (AW) and extreme pressure (EP) additives. In order to examine how wear occurs during cold metal forming, the SRV (Schwingung Reibung Verschleiss) reciprocating-sliding tribometer equipped with a cylinder-on-disc line-contact testing system was adapted and used to characterize lubricant behaviour. Friction coefficient and wear rate were determined under progressively increasing load conditions. The final worn volumes of the flat and the cylinder were evaluated by using optical microscopy methods. The measurement system was validated by replicate tests using some commercially available forming lubricants as reference in a load range of 100-1000 N. The oscillating tribo-test-rig can be used to characterize lubricants for cold metal forming processes by testing the combined effects of different additive systems and their interaction with contacting materials.