LESS GALLING, BETTER SURFACESTechnical ceramics for forming technology

In forming technology, wear is often caused less by abrasion than by adhesion: under high surface pressure, the tool and metallic workpiece tend to cold-weld. Ceramic tools significantly reduce this tendency to galling and therefore deliver smoother surfaces and greater process reliability.

Before preparing a quotation, BCE Special Ceramics clarifies whether ceramic is suitable for your forming process – and where carbide remains the better choice.

Low tendency to galling against metallic workpieces
Smooth surfaces on the formed part
Reduced lubricant requirements
Dimensional stability under high surface pressure
ZrO₂ and ATZ, matched to the forming process

Discuss forming tool

Clarify material for forming process

QUICK STARTWhere would you like to start?

Control galling and wear

Cold welding, adhesive wear and uneven surfaces: the most common problems in forming technology.

Understand galling tendency

Find the right material

ZrO₂, ATZ or carbide: decision support based on forming process and type of load.

Find materials now

Clarify feasibility

Mandrel, drawing ring, calibration body? We clarify feasibility in a direct discussion.

Have your forming tool checked

TYPICAL PROBLEMSChallenges in Forming Technology

Galling and cold welding

Tool and workpiece can locally weld together under high surface pressure.

Adhesive wear on the tool

Material transfer affects the surface and reduces process reliability.

High surface pressure

Mandrels, drawing rings and calibration bodies must withstand high compressive loads while maintaining their shape.

Uneven surface on the workpiece

Grooves, pick-ups and material tears impair the formed part.

High lubricant use

Metallic tools often require more lubrication to control galling.

Are you forming tubes, sleeves or sheet metal and looking for a tool that does not weld to the workpiece?

Tell us the workpiece material, forming process and quantity. We will check material, geometry and manufacturability.

Discuss forming tool

SOLUTION LOGICWhy is technical ceramic used in forming technology?

Technical ceramics for forming technology, sealing tool for clamping artificial guts (sausage production) — Sealing tool for clamping artificial guts (sausage production)

Advantages of technical ceramics:

Low adhesion to steel and non-ferrous metals
Low friction forces, reduced tendency to cold welding
Uniform, groove-free wear
No softening due to frictional heat as with steel tools
Good surfaces even with reduced lubrication

Technical ceramics for forming technology, wear parts for sheet metal forming — Wear parts for sheet metal forming

BCE expertise for your project:

Material selection based on the forming process, not on a catalogue
Proven ZrO₂ and ATZ grades
Ceramic-compatible geometry instead of a 1:1 copy of the metal tool
Coordination of lubrication and process parameters
Production from batch size 1

Typical wrong decisions in forming technology:

Viewing ceramic only as a hardness replacement for carbide instead of using its tribological advantages
Transferring a carbide tool 1:1 to ceramic without considering the geometric limits of brittle-hard materials
Underestimating tensile and impact loads: ceramic has high compressive strength but is sensitive to tensile stress
Keeping lubrication and process parameters unchanged from the metal tool

Clarifying the forming process, type of load and workpiece material early helps prevent tool breakage during the first stroke.

MATERIALSSuitable Materials for Forming Technology

Zirconia (ZrO₂)

When useful:
High strength and toughness, mechanically highly loaded tools such as mandrels and rollers.

Less suitable:
Continuous use above 900 °C. Phase transformation during temperature changes must be considered.

Alumina (Al₂O₃)

When useful:
Simple guide and wear parts under moderate load.

Less suitable:
Forming tools exposed to impact and bending loads; too brittle.

Mixed oxides (ATZ / ZTA)

When useful:
Standard choice for forming tools when Al₂O₃ is too brittle and pure ZrO₂ is not required. BCE uses Z-700E for this purpose, among other grades.

Special materials (SiC, Si₃N₄, AlN, B₄C)

When useful:
Highest wear hardness and temperature resistance.

Less suitable:
More expensive and more complex to manufacture than oxide ceramics.

All materials at a glance

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KEY FACTSTechnical Key Figures at a Glance

up to 1,100 MPa

Flexural strength of Z-700E – reserve for highly loaded forming tools such as bending bushes.

approx. 1,300 HV

Hardness of Z-700E – hardened steel is around 700–800 HV.

HIP

Z-700E is hot-isostatically post-densified – higher density and strength, for example for bending bushes.

µm range

Dimensional and form tolerances – decisive for calibration bodies and mandrels.

Low adhesion

To metals – interrupts cold welding between tool and workpiece.

Still unsure whether ceramic is worthwhile compared with your carbide tool?

That depends on the forming process. Send us your drawing or describe the process. We will respond with a clear assessment.

Discuss your project now

FAQFrequently Asked Questions from Forming Technology

Answers to typical questions about galling, carbide, material selection and the feasibility of ceramic forming tools.

Ask us your question directly

Is ceramic worthwhile compared with carbide in forming technology?

Not always in terms of service life. Ceramic does not necessarily achieve a longer tool life than carbide, but it offers advantages in galling tendency, surface quality and process reliability, and can reduce lubricant requirements. For tools exposed to impact or tensile loads, carbide often remains superior. The decisive factor is the specific forming process.

Does a ceramic tool weld to the metallic workpiece?

No. Due to its non-metallic bonding structure, ceramic has low adhesion to steel and non-ferrous metals. Unlike steel or carbide tools, cold welding between tool and workpiece occurs much less frequently. This effect helps create smoother surfaces on the formed part and can reduce lubricant requirements.

How can cold welding or galling be avoided during forming?

Cold welding occurs when the tool and metallic workpiece locally weld together under high surface pressure and material is torn from the surface during separation. A ceramic tool interrupts this mechanism because ceramic does not weld to the metal. Lubrication and process parameters can also be adjusted to the changed friction conditions.

Which ceramic material is suitable for forming tools?

In many cases, ZrO₂ or ATZ, a ZrO₂-based mixed oxide such as Z-700E, is suitable due to the combination of strength and toughness. Al₂O₃ is only suitable for moderately loaded guide and wear parts. The final material choice depends on the forming process, workpiece material and type of load.

Do lubrication or process parameters need to be adjusted?

Often yes. The friction conditions between ceramic and metal differ from those of steel or carbide tools. Lubricant and process parameters often need to be adjusted in order to fully exploit the potential of the ceramic material.

How does an inquiry for a forming tool at BCE Special Ceramics work?

You provide the forming process, workpiece material, type of load and quantity, ideally together with a drawing. As part of the feasibility analysis, we check whether the geometry is suitable for ceramics, recommend the material and identify critical points in the process. A quotation follows only after these points have been clarified.

Do you have a forming tool, a drawing or an open material decision?

We will tell you whether ceramic is the right choice – and if so, whether ZrO₂, ATZ or another material is suitable.

Ask us your question