Investigation of the electrospark coating, alloying and strengthening technology

Introduction. The work objectives were the analysis and application of the technology of electrospark deposition of wear-resistant metal coatings on cutting tools or machine parts for their hardening or dimensional restoration.

Materials and Methods. The technology, device and principle of operation of the modernized installation intended for electric spark application of wear-resistant metal coatings with composites T15K6, VK8 and VK6 are considered.

Results. To determine the parameters of the upgraded electrospark alloying plant, experiments were carried out on hardening of polished samples made of steel 45 with hard alloy T15K6 with dimensions of 25×25×25 mm. As a result of using the experiment planning method, the possibility of selecting and adjusting the installation parameters was confirmed. The following parameters were selected for hardening samples made of steel 45 with hard alloy T15K6: current I = 1-2–A, voltage U = 40-75 V, capacitor bank capacity = 60–100 µF.

Discussion and Conclusions. The use of carbon dioxide as a protective medium enables to increase the number of passes and, accordingly, the number of coating layers to twenty, to obtain a total thickness of up to 0.3 mm with a dense structure without oxides. Coatings of this thickness make it possible not only to strengthen, but also to restore the dimensions of worn machine parts. The parameters of the technological modes of electrospark alloying significantly affect the intensity of coating application and the quality of the resulting surface. A rise in the electrical parameters causes an increase in the intensity of each individual discharge and, within certain limits, contributes to an increase in the amount of the transferred coating material, as well as to deeper transformations of the coated surface in the discharge zone. Thus, an electrospark alloying plant equipped with monitoring and diagnostic tools, as well as with a protective gas supply system, can be used for hardening and restoring machine parts and cutting tools.

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