Palida Hama.. Investigating process parameters and sample size influence on heat behavior and material characteristics for coating improvement in PTA processes. Master's Degree(Materials and Production Engineering (International Program)). King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok. Central Library. : King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, 2024.
Investigating process parameters and sample size influence on heat behavior and material characteristics for coating improvement in PTA processes
Abstract:
This study investigates the influence of process parameters and sample size on the
thermal behavior and material characteristics of H13 tool steel coatings applied via the Plasma Transferred Arc (PTA) process, aiming to enhance coating performance. Simulations were conducted using Simufact Weld software to predict temperature distribution, cooling rates, and resulting hardness when depositing H13 onto AISI 1050 steel substrates. Consistent welding parameters-current, travel speed, and powder feed rate-were applied across different substrate sizes and preheating conditions. Experimental validation was performed using K-type thermocouples to measure actual thermal profiles during PTA deposition.
The simulation results showed strong agreement with experimental data, with peak
temperature deviations of less than 4%. Cooling rate trends derived from the simulations aligned well with the Continuous Cooling Transformation (CCT) diagram, and predicted hardness values closely matched those observed experimentally. Larger substrates demonstrated faster cooling rates and correspondingly higher hardness values. Under non-preheated conditions, the larger substrate achieved 613 HV compared to 591 HV for the smaller one; under preheated conditions, hardness values were slightly lower-588 HV and 585 HV, respectively-highlighting the softening effect of preheating.
These findings confirm that substrate size and preheating significantly influence
thermal behavior and hardness. Preheating, while slightly reducing hardness, contributes to
improved coating durability by minimizing cracking risks. The combination of simulation and experimental validation proves to be an effective approach for optimizing PTA process parameters for tool steel applications.
King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok. Central Library