Abstract
Grain size and lubricating conditions influence material flow behaviours in micro metal forming processes. In this study, the brass (JIS C2700) tubes with 1.1 mm outer diameter and 0.5 mm inner diameter were treated by annealing at 400 °C, 500 °C and 600 °C to obtain various microstructures with the grain sizes of 20 μm, 34 μm and 80 μm, respectively. The treated tubes were machined and grounded to be 0.6 mm length specimens for the experiments of micro forward and backward hollow extrusion. Three lubricating conditions, which were dry, full and punch lubricated conditions, were carried out in the experiments. By comparing the upper cup height and rod length of the extruded specimens with the calibration curves established by finite element simulations, it is possible to estimate the friction factors in the processes. The results show that the dry conditions lead to stronger friction effects and thus larger friction factors. Moreover, the friction factor increased with grain size and stroke for all conditions.
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