MELHORIAS NA MATRIZ DE EXTRUSÃO DE BORRACHA (EPDM) ATRAVÉS DO TRATAMENTO TÉRMICO

Abstract

The tool steel applications used in the manufacture of dies in the process of extrusion Ethylene Propylene Diene EPDM rubber, the highest requests are subject due to the complexity of producing profiles with specific geometric features to meet customer needs. This study aims to present the results obtained from analysis of two arrays of EPDM rubber extrusion, comparing the life and spending applied to a tool without heat treatment and a tool with heat treatment, the durability of each and the line downtime due to wear occurred during the process, both of which are made of the same material, the D2 steel, governed by American Standard "American Iron And Steel Institute" (American System for Classification of Steel) AISI and submitted the same manufacturing process, receiving the same request during the extrusion process and producing the same profile. However, the matrix that received the heat treatment of quenching and tempering vacuum had its extended life, providing greater durability and hardness ratio compared with the untreated matrix. The low cost of heat treatment increased the value of an array without heat treatment, dramatically increasing company expenses extrusion tooling, making the matrix more feasible treated in using the EPDM rubber extrusion process.