Method for manufacturing a forging die with improved wear resistance

A method for manufacturing a forging die with improved wear resistance, comprising the steps of:

• manufacturing hot-work tool steel in which Al is added as a de-oxidizing agent during manufacture of the hot-work tool steel but which is added in a sufficient quantity such that it is only partially consumed during an oxidizing process during said manufacture and leaves Al in a range of 0.055-0.15 weight percent after the de-oxidizing process;
• shaping the manufactured hot-work tool steel to create a forging die;
• and
• by a subsequent nitriding process creating a hardened surface on the forging die by heating in a nitriding atmosphere by interaction with the Al to improve a hardened surface on the forging die resulting in an improvement in wear resistance.

A method for manufacturing a forging die with improved wear resistance, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining hot-work tool steel in which Al is added as a de-oxidizing agent during manufacture of the hot-work tool steel, but which is added in a sufficient quantity such that it is only partially consumed during a subsequent de-oxidizing process during said manufacture and leaving Al in a range of greater than 0.015 weight percent after the de-oxidizing process;
• shaping the manufactured hot-work tool steel to create a forging die;
• and
• by a subsequent nitriding process creating a hardened surface on the forging die by heating in a nitriding atmosphere by interaction with the Al to improve a hardened surface on the forging die resulting in an improvement in wear resistance.