WOT presents forecasting tool for plasma nitriding processes at the DGO regional group meeting

At the district group meeting of the DGO German Society for Electroplating and Surface Technology on 9 May 2019 at the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, two presentation topics were on the agenda for the first time. One of these was the presentation of the AiF project „Prediction tool for plasma nitriding processes for the surface treatment of tools and components“, which is funded by the DGO and which the WOT professorship is working on together with the Fraunhofer IST in Braunschweig.

The DGO/BG Saxony event was very well attended with 19 participants. This was not least due to the fact that Dr Thomas Grund, Jörg Pribbenow and Pierre Landgraf from the WOT presented the results of their research into the usability of artificial neural networks for predicting the results of plasma nitriding treatment. On the basis of statistically controlled real nitriding processes and their evaluation, a so-called prediction tool was developed that outputs the expected hardness levels and hardening depths for a series of selected steels depending on the process parameters of time, temperature and nitrogen content. An optimisation algorithm was also implemented, which selects suitable process parameter combinations with the shortest nitriding time for specified hardening depths.

The forecasting tool can be accessed via the following link:
https://mala.txm.de/webapps/home/session.html?app=NitridingTool

The procedure for analysing and optimising complex multi-parameter processes presented using the example of plasma nitriding met with great interest. The discussion among the participants on the presentations by Grund, Pribbenow and Landgraf was therefore extremely exciting.

The second presentation was given by Ralf Schwab, Martin Walter Ultraschalltechnik AG, on the subject of „Current technical status of ultrasonic units for use in electroplating systems“. In his presentation, he provided information on the main areas of application for these units in electroplating processes, application examples for decorative and functional coatings and key process factors. He also made statements on the different types of oscillators and their arrangement in the bath and on system types. Here, too, there was an intensive discussion in which it was specifically emphasised that plastic electroplating companies are showing increasing interest in ultrasonic technology due to the demand for Cr(VI)-freedom.

Picture
Participants of the DGO district group meeting on 9 May 2019 on the premises of the IWW (Photo: M. Regal, DGO BG Saxony, 2019)

22.5.2019 – Projects of the professorship ( thomas.grund@mb… )