Energy efficient manufacturing chain for advanced bainitic forging steels based on thermo-mechanical processing

• Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Jérémy Epp
• Subject Area: Metallurgical, Thermal and Thermomechanical Treatment of Materials
• Term: from 2017 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 327887503

• Final Report Year: 2024

Final Report Abstract

Energy efficiency is one of the main driving forces re-shaping industrial production. For the steel manufacturing and forming industry, the development of advanced steel alloys to manufacture components with increased strength or the replacement of energy-consuming processes by resource-efficient alternatives have gain increasing importance in the last years. The actual project also aimed at a similar objective: contributing to the advancement and establishment of energy efficient production of forged steel goods via Thermo Mechanical Processing (TMP). This endeavour consisted of developing new concepts for manufacturing chains, with the main goal of reducing the number of steps necessary to produce forged components with adjusted mechanical properties. To this end, a novel alloy class of Continuously Cooled Bainitic Steels (CCBS) was considered for replacing conventional Quenched and Tempered (Q&T) or carburizing steels. Unlike the conventional alloys, CCBS attain their final microstructure via free cooling in air, which can be directly applied after hot forging of near-net shape blanks, thus eliminating the necessity of additional heat treatment as carburizing and quenching. In this project, a fundamental study on the development of the bainitic microstructure under continuous cooling was carried out by combining different in-situ techniques. These experiments allowed to assess the effect of thermomechanical processing in detail and subsequently to design large-scale forging processes approaching an industrial environment. With the establishment of an optimal processing window, the forged components were surface treated to meet combined tailored bulk and surface properties. Thereby, the whole processing window to manufacture forged components was studied. This approach allowed to monitor how the thermomechanical processing history affected the microstructural outcome as well as its properties. Meanwhile, the energy consumption of each step of the optimized process was accounted for and compared to a conventional manufacturing chain in order to verify the potential increase in energy efficiency. Finally, by comparing different alloy chemical compositions, it was shown how the implementation of CCBS paved the way to achieve increased mechanical properties and energy efficiency in comparison to conventional approaches. Thereby, it was demonstrated that the new manufacturing chain including nitriding with adapted parameters led to better contact fatigue resistance of produced gears compared to a conventionally forged and carburized 20MnCr5 steel, while a reduction of almost 50 % of the total energy consumption could be achieved by the new process chain.

Publications

• Efeito de rotas de processamento termomecânico sobre as propriedades mecânicas e metalúrgicas do aço DIN 20MnCr5 7° Seminário de Inovação e Tecnologia do IFSul – INOVTEC, (2018)
  Hatwig, R. A.; Dalcin, R. L.; Silveira, A. C. F.; Perozzo, T. S.; Ivaniski, T. M. & Rocha, A. S.
  
• Um estudo da influência da temperatura no tamanho de grão austenítico 7° Seminário de Inovação e Tecnologia do IFSul – INOVTEC, (2018)
  Silveira, A. C. F.; Zaccani, C.C.; Simon, F. A.; Rocha, A. S. & Nunes, R.M.
  
• An approach using JMAK model in numerical simulation for austenitic grain size control in hot forging 23ª Conferência Internacional de Forjamento – SENAFOR, (2019)
  Ivaniski, T. M.; Hatwig, R. A.; Dong, J.; Epp, J.; Zoch, H.-W. & Rocha, A. S.
  
• Análise da influência dos parâmetros de processo no processamento termomecânicos de aços bainísticos por dilatometria Siderurgia Brasil (2019) 135, 22
  Perozzo, T.S.
  
• Análise da viabilidade do tratamento térmico de austêmpera para o aço bainítico em desenvolvimento DIN18MnCrSiMo6-4 Semana da Ciência e Tecnologia - SECITEC, (2019)
  Wolfart J., M.; Pasini, M. R.; Canal, F. & Cavali, G.
  
• Austenitic Grain Size Prediction in Hot Forging of a 20MnCr5 Steel by Numerical Simulation Using the JMAK Model for Industrial Applications. Materials Research, 22(5).
  Ivaniski, Thiago Marques; Epp, Jérémy; Zoch, Hans-Werner & Rocha, Alexandre da Silva
  
• Caracterização do aço DIN 18MnCrSiMo6-4 nitretado a plasma com mistura gasosa composta por 76% N2 N2 10º Congresso Brasileiro de Engenharia de Fabricação – COBEF, (2019)
  Dalcin, R. L.; Oliveira, L. F. & Rocha, A. S.
  
• Caracterização microestrutural de um aço multifásico bainítico para forjamento com reagente Lepera International Conference on Surface Engineering in Material Forming - 39th SENAFOR, (2019)
  Silva, M. A.; Wolfart Júnior, M.; Rocha, A.S.; Turra, C. J. & Lima, D. R. S.
  
• Effects of temperature on the properties of DIN 18MnCrSiMo6-4 steel plasma nitreted with gas mixture composed by 76% nitrogen 2ª International Conference on Surface Engineering in Material Forming – SENAFOR, (2019)
  Dalcin, R. L.; Oliveira, L. F.; Malfatti, C. F.; Dong, J. & Rocha, A. S.
  
• International Journal of Engineering & Technology (2019) 8 (3), 324.
  Dalcin, R. L. et al.
  
• Mode and cause of failure in the teeth of bevel gears – An overview 2ª International Conference on Surface Engineering in Material Forming – SENAFOR, (2019)
  Dalcin, R. L.; Rodrigues, D. R.; Menezes, V. M.; Epp, J.; Zoch, H.-W. & Rocha, A. S.
  
• Strain Effects on the Austenitic Field of DIN 18MnCrSiMo6-4 steel on its Microstructure 23ª Conferência Internacional de Forjamento – SENAFOR, (2019)
  Hatwig, R. A.; Perozzo, T. S.; Dong, J.; Epp, J.; Zoch, H.-W. & Rocha, A. S.
  
• Constitutive Modelling of High Temperature Flow Behaviour for a Low Carbon High Silicon Bainitic Steel. Materials Research, 23(5).
  Ivaniski, Thiago Marques; Souza, Tomaz Fantin de; Épp, Jérémy & Rocha, Alexandre da Silva
  
• Determinação da máxima profundidade de tensão cisalhante para projetar a profundidade de camada de engrenagens nitretadas a plasma 9º Seminário de Inovação e Tecnologia do IFSul, (2020)
  Menezes, V. M.; Dalcin, R. L.; Silva, C. H. & Rocha, A. S.
  
• In Situ Investigation of the Bainitic Transformation from Deformed Austenite During Continuous Cooling in a Low Carbon Mn-Si-Cr-Mo Steel. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 51(7), 3627-3637.
  Lemos, Bevilaqua William; Epp, Jérémy; Meyer, Heiner; Da Silva Rocha, Alexandre & Roelofs, Hans
  
• Influence of Hot Forging Parameters on a Low Carbon Continuous Cooling Bainitic Steel Microstructure. Metals, 10(5), 601.
  Silveira, Antonio Carlos de Figueiredo; Bevilaqua, William Lemos; Dias, Vinicius Waechter; de Castro, Pedro José; Epp, Jeremy & Rocha, Alexandre da Silva
  
• Microestrutura e Propriedades de Desgaste do Aço Bainítico de Resfriamento Contínuo DIN 18MnCrSiMo6-4 Nitretado a Plasma em Diferentes Temperaturas. Matéria (Rio de Janeiro), 25(2).
  Dalcin, Rafael Luciano; Oliveira, Leonardo Fonseca; Rocha, Alexandre da Silva; Malfatti, Célia de Fraga; Hidalgo, Gelsa Edith Navarro; Epp, Jérémy & Zoch, Hans-Werner
  
• Response of a DIN 18MnCrSiMo6-4 Continuous Cooling Bainitic Steel to Different Plasma Nitriding Gas Mixtures. Materials Research, 23(5).
  Dalcin, Rafael Luciano; Oliveira, Leonardo Fonseca; Diehl, Carla Adriana Theis Soares & da Silva Rocha, Alexandre
  
• Response of a DIN 18MnCrSiMo6-4 Continuous Cooling Bainitic Steel to Plasma Nitriding with a Nitrogen Rich Gas Composition. Materials Research, 23(2).
  Dalcin, Rafael Luciano; Oliveira, Leonardo Fonseca; Diehl, Igor Luis; Dias, Vinicius Waechter & Rocha, Alexandre da Silva
  
• Study of Microstructural Development of Bainitic Steel using Eddy Current and Synchrotron XRD in-situ Measurement Techniques during Thermomechanical Treatment∗. HTM Journal of Heat Treatment and Materials, 75(1), 3-22.
  Dong, J.; Skalecki, M. G.; Hatwig, R. A.; Bevilaqua, W. L.; Stark, A.; Epp, J.; da Silva Rocha, A. & Zoch, H.-W.
  
• Análise via microscopia óptica de um aço bainítico DIN 18MnCrSiMo6-4 austenitizado e resfriado em diferentes meios. Tecnologia em Metalurgia, Materiais e Mineração, 18(2021), e2297.
  Turra, Cristiano José; Castro, Pedro José de; Silveira, Antonio Figueiredo & Rocha, Alexandre da Silva
  
• Effect of Compressive Deformations on the Final Microstructure of a Low Carbon High Silicon Bainitic Steel Thermomechanically Processed. Materials Research, 24(1).
  Hatwig, Rodrigo Afonso; Dong, Juan; Epp, Jérémy & Rocha, Alexandre da Silva
  
• Influence of Plasma Nitriding with a Nitrogen Rich Gas Composition on the Reciprocating Sliding Wear of a DIN 18MnCrSiMo6-4 Steel. Materials Research, 24(4).
  Dalcin, Rafael Luciano; Rocha, Alexandre da Silva; Castro, Victor Velho de; Oliveira, Leonardo Fonseca; Neves, Julio Cesar Klein das; Silva, Carlos Henrique da & Malfatti, Célia de Fraga
  
• Nitretação a plasma com pós-oxidação em tela ativa usando diferentes misturas gasosas no aço 4140. SENAFOR Engenharia de Superfície - ICOSEMF, (2021)
  Oliveira L. F.; Rocha A. S. & Vasconcellos A.
  
• Potencialidade da nitretação a plasma para aplicações em engrenagens forjadas em aço bainítico de resfriamento contínuo SENAFOR Engenharia de Superfície ICOSEMF, (2021)
  Dalcin, R. L.; Menezes, V. M.; Rocha, A. S. & Silva, C. H.
  
• Revealing the Dynamic Transformation of Austenite to Bainite during Uniaxial Warm Compression through In-Situ Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction. Metals, 11(3), 467.
  Bevilaqua, William Lemos; Epp, Jérémy; Meyer, Heiner; Dong, Juan; Roelofs, Hans; da Silva Rocha, Alexandre & Reguly, Afonso
  
• Two-Step Continuous Cooling Heat Treatment Applied in a Low Carbon Bainitic Steel. Materials Research, 24(2).
  de Castro, Pedro José; Silveira, Antonio Carlos de Figueiredo; Ivaniski, Thiago Marques; Turra, Cristiano José; Epp, Jeremy & Rocha, Alexandre da Silva
  
• Análise da Resposta de um Aço Bainítico Submetido a Tratamento Superficial via Deep-Rolling 25th International Forging Conference - Senafor, (2022)
  Canal, F.; Pasini, M. R. & Rocha, A. da S.
  
• Determination of austenitic grain size in hot forming as a function of its variables with the application of subroutines in numerical simulation 25th International Forging Conference - Senafor, (2022)
  Ivaniski, T. M. & Rocha A. Da S.
  
• Energy Efficient Manufacturing Chain for Advanced Bainitic Steels Based on Thermo-Mechanical Processing 27th Congress & european conference on heat treatment - IFTHSE & ECHT, (2022)
  de Castro, P. J.; Silveira, A. C. F.; Turra, C. J.; Rocha, A. S.; Fechte-Heinen, R. & Epp, J.
  
• Estudo preliminar da combinação dos tratamentos de deep-rolling e nitretação a plasma aplicados em um aço bainítico de resfriamento contínuo 11º Seminário de Inovação e Tecnologia do IFSul, (2022)
  Canal, F.; Piovesan, J. V. & Rocha, A. S.
  
• Estudo preliminar das modificações microestruturais no núcleo de amostras de aço bainítico nitretadas a plasma 11º Seminário de Inovação e Tecnologia do IFSul, (2022)
  Rodrigues, D. R.; Nora, J. V. P. D. & Rocha, A. S.
  
• Improvement on pitting wear resistance of gears by controlled forging and plasma nitriding. Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 18, 4698-4713.
  Dalcin, Rafael Luciano; Marques de Menezes Valcir; Fonseca, Oliveira Leonardo; da Silva, Carlos Henrique; Klein das Neves, Julio Cesar; Theis, Soares Diehl Carla Adriana & da Silva Rocha, Alexandre
  
• Microstructure and Wear Properties of a Low Carbon Bainitic Steel on Plasma Nitriding at Different N2-H2 Gas Mixtures. Materials Research, 25(2022).
  Dalcin, Rafael Luciano; Rocha, Alexandre da Silva; Castro, Victor Velho de; Neves, Julio Cesar Klein das; Silva, Carlos Henrique da; Torres, Ricardo Diego; Nunes, Rafael Menezes & Malfatti, Célia de Fraga
  
• Numerical and Experimental Study of an Industrial Case for Grain Size Evolution in Bainitic Steel in Controlled Hot Forging and its Influence on Mechanical Performance. Materials Research, 25(2022).
  Ivaniski, T.M.; Castro, P.J. de; Rodrigues, D.; Épp, J.; Nunes, R.M. & Rocha, A. da S.
  
• Quantificação de constituintes M-A através de metalografia colorida em aço bainítico livre de carbonetos / Quantification of M-A constituents by colored metallography on carbide-free bainitic steel. Brazilian Journal of Development, 8(3), 20348-20359.
  Da Silva, Matheus Alves; Junior, Mario Wolfart; da Silva Rocha, Alexandre; Turra, Cristiano José; De Lima, Diego Rodolfo Simões & Das Neves, Julio Cesar Klein
  
• Utilização da simulação computacional como ferramenta para auxiliar no forjamento de uma cruzeta 25th International Forging Conference - Senafor, (2022)
  Mafia, T. R.; Piovesan, J. V.; Soares G. R.; Rocha A. da S. & Dias V. W.
  
• Correlation between roughness, film thickness, and friction coefficient with pitting wear resistance of spur gears. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 129(11-12), 5473-5492.
  Dalcin, Rafael Luciano; Marques de Menezes, Valcir; da Silva Rocha, Alexandre; de Moraes, Samara Paulin; Affonso, Leonardo Bottega; Cousseau, Tiago & da, Silva Carlos Henrique
  
• Effects of thermomechanical processing on the microstructural development of continuously cooled carbide-free bainitic steels IFTHSE - International Federation for Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering, (2023)
  de Castro, P. J. & Epp, J.
  
• Explaining the Abnormal Dilatation Behavior During the Austenite Formation in a Microstructure of a Low-Carbon Low-Alloy Steel Containing Retained Austenite. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 54(8), 3349-3357.
  Bevilaqua, William Lemos; Epp, Jérémy; da Silva Rocha, Alexandre & Roelofs, Hans
  
• Integration of FEM and Process Map to Determine the Formability of a Continuous Cooling Bainitic Steel. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, 118-128. Springer Nature Switzerland.
  Ivaniski, T. M.; de F. Silveira, A. C.; Epp, J. & da S. Rocha, A.
  
• Integration of FEM to Determine the Microstructure and Formability of a Continuous Cooling Bainitic Steel 27th ABCM International Congress of Mechanical Engineering, (2023)
  Ivaniski, T.M., de F. Silveira, A.C., de Castro, P. J., Epp, J. & da S. Rocha, A.
  
• Effect of Thermomechanical Processing on the Transformation Kinetics, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Continuously Cooled Cementite-free Bainitic Steel. HTM Journal of Heat Treatment and Materials, 79(3), 130-146.
  de Castro, P. J.; Silveira, A.; Dong, J.; Turra, C. J.; Rocha, A. S.; Fechte-Heinen, R. & Epp, J.