Abstract
Micro forming can be used for a highly efficient manufacturing of small parts like screws or caps. Because of the small dimensions of the structures, high stresses and forming forces occur, especially in the case of micro bulk forming. In addition, the influence of friction is significantly higher compared to macro forming processes. A typical example of small structures are micro channels. An approach for the reduction of the necessary forming force to obtain lower loads on the tool consists in a vibration-assisted micro forming process. As vibration source, a piezo power module is placed directly in the force axis of the forming press. For the investigations, micro channels with a depth of more than 300 μm and a width of 300 μm are formed into 1.5 mm thick AlMg4.5Mn0.7 aluminium alloy sheets. The focus of the research lies in the influence of the process parameters like frequency and oscillation amplitude onto the material flow and the achieved channel depths. To investigate a possible influence on the friction conditions due to the vibration assistance, different lubrication conditions are applied. First results show a channel depth increase of 12 % compared to samples formed without vibration assistance.
Highlights
Micro forming is a highly efficient and precise manufacturing method for small parts as well as for small functional structures
Micro channels with a depth of more than 300 μm and a width of 300 μm are formed into 1.5 mm thick AlMg4.5Mn0.7 aluminium alloy sheets
The cavities, positioned parallel to the micro channels act as flow barriers to decrease the lateral material flow, whereas the perpendicular to the channels positioned cavities act as space for electrodes of the piezo fibres
Summary
Micro forming is a highly efficient and precise manufacturing method for small parts as well as for small functional structures. Such small parts can be screws, bolts, caps, or other structures like frames, mostly used for electronic devices. Micro forming allows the generation of small structures into the surfaces for a functional integration. Typical examples are micro grooves or channels that can be used for micro fluidic applications, micro cooling systems, or for the direct integration of active materials like piezo ceramics to generate smart sheets with integrated sensor and actuator functionalities. The influence of friction between tool and workpiece is significantly higher compared to macro forming processes
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