Framework for Industrial Wear Quantification Using Optical 3D Metrology

Tool wear in progressive sheet-metal stamping affects component geometry, process stability, and maintenance requirements. Quantitative assessment under industrial production conditions remains challenging because forming tools can contain small and geometrically complex functional surfaces. This study presents an application-oriented framework for comparing wear-related geometry changes using optical three-dimensional surface metrology. Three-dimensional surface data of a wear-critical bending insert were acquired using a Bruker Alicona µCMM (v6.4.1, Bruker Alicona, Graz, Austria) at defined production intervals. The datasets were registered using reference surfaces outside the active forming radius and evaluated using surface-deviation maps, inspection sections, and quantitative wear indicators. Complementary scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were performed by Matworks GmbH Material Engineering Solutions using a ZEISS Sigma 300 VP field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM; Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, Jena, Germany) to document changes in surface morphology and investigate selected regions for material transfer. The measurements revealed localized and spatially non-uniform geometry changes on the active forming radius during industrial production. Measurement performance was assessed using a Type 1 measurement-system analysis and an extended repeatability investigation with a calibrated three-sphere reference standard. The results support the use of the framework for comparative documentation of tool-condition changes. Further task-specific validation and additional production data are required before binding warning, replacement, or condition-based maintenance criteria can be established.