Effects of mandrel velocity on residual stresses created in cold expansion process of adjacent holes for AA6016-T6 and AA1100 aluminum alloys

Abstract

Cold expansion is a mechanical method for creating residual stresses. This method is a proven technique to increase the fatigue life, and checking the residual stress on it, is of particular importance. A cold expansion process is widely used to generate beneficial residual stresses into an annular region around the hole. In the present research work, AA 6016-T6 and AA 1100 aluminum alloys which are two strain rate sensitive materials, were subjected to cold expansion process with different mandrel velocities. In fact, the effect of mandrel velocity on the created residual stresses has been investigated. The constants of the Johnson-Cook material model have been determined for them and the process has been investigated, experimentally and numerically. The obtained results revealed that the values of the residual stresses created in the sheets depend on the velocity of the process especially at the edge of the sheets holes. By increasing the mandrel velocity from 5 to 500 mm/min, depending on the distance from the hole to the edge of the sheet, it is possible to enhance the hoop residual stress by 37.3–41.2% in AA 1100 aluminum alloy and by 37.6–38.1% in AA 6016-T6 aluminum alloy. This research showed that in all cases, the radial residual stresses created around the holes are negative. Also, it was cleared that due to the existence of material constraints and the movement of the sheet material, the amount of hoop residual stress created in the mid-thickness is more than the exit face and in the exit face is also more than the entrance face, exactly unlike the size of their zones.