LivsVerk - Increased service life and circularity of die casting tools

In die casting of aluminium, there are several different wear mechanisms that reduce the service life of die casting tools and cause unplanned stops. This is costly for the environment as energy and raw materials are used to manufacture new die casting tools, the amount of scrap increases and high demands on the aluminium quality in the melt. In addition, it is costly for companies and ultimately consumers.

Part of the solution is to find the right surface properties on the right place for the die casting tools to increase resistance to the right type of wear. This can be done by choosing the right steel in combination with surface treatments and surface coatings. Another important strategy is to develop effective and simple methods for wear analysis for identification of maintenance, both when maintenance is needed and what type of maintenance. These two points are the main strategies for the LivsVerk project, where the end goal is a die casting industry with a lower impact on the environment through a longer service life and a higher proportion of remanufactured die casting tools as well as fewer unplanned stops.