Bending Strength and Fracture Behaviour of Metal-Ceramic Interpenetrating Phase Composites Manufactured by Using Semi-Solid Forming Technology

Interpenetrating Phase Composites (IPC) belong to a special category of composite materials, offering great potential in terms of material properties due to the continuous volume structure of both composite components. While manufacturing of metal-ceramic IPC via existing casting and infiltration processes leads to structural deficits, semi-solid forming represents a promising technology for producing IPC components without such defects. Thereby, a solid open pore body made of ceramic is infiltrated with a metallic material in the semi-solid state. Good structural characteristics of the microstructure as the integrity of the open-pore bodies after infiltration and an almost none residual porosity within the composites have already been proven for this manufacturing route within a certain process window. On this basis, the following paper focuses on the mechanical properties such as bending strength of metal-ceramic IPC produced by using semi-solid forming technology. Thereby, the impact of the significant process parameters on these properties is analysed within a suitable process window. Furthermore, a fractographic analysis is carried out by observing and interpreting the fracture behaviour during these tests and the fracture surface thereafter.

Design and manufacturing of an innovative rolling ball tool: A step forward towards the development of SPIF process

Incremental sheet forming (ISF) is an innovative forming technology which is widely used in various sectors of mechanical production. This is particularly useful for rapid prototyping and limited batch without a specific die. A new class of this method is single-point incremental forming (SPIF). This paper presents a comprehensive experimental investigation on the SPIF of Aluminum sheets, and, in particular, the influence of the forming tool is taken into account. A new rolling ball tool is designed to follow this, and the formability of the Aluminum sheets under the SPIF procedure is investigated for both new and conventional tools. Moreover, a number of important process parameters such as the feed rate, forming force, and surface roughness are considered in the experiments’ design. Finally, the optimal conditions in achieving a developed SPIF procedure in terms of the mentioned factors are reported and discussed. The findings of this work suggest that the surface quality after the forming process can be enhanced by 55% when using the new designed tool, while the forming force is reduced by 38% at the same time.

A Report on Metal Forming Technology Transfer from Expert to Industry for Improving Production Efficiency

This article reports on technological mastery assistance in three small metal forming industries in Indonesia. Problems in the blangking and piercing separately process caused increased production time which resulted in inefficiency cost. Therefore, the expert team aided in metal forming technology through participatory action research (PAR) methods and experimental methods through reverse engineering for several products. The PAR method involves optimal contribution and participation from the industry. Assistance in mastering technology in small metal-forming industries reduces the manufacturing process from seven to three stages, increasing efficiency. The press machine's tonnage capacity must balance with the force blanking/piercing requirement. The minimum press machine requirement is 6.7 tons, and based on the availability of existing press machines, the expert team recommends a 20-ton capacity press machine. Total efficiency can be further increased by implementing full progressive die technology by combining piercing, blanking, and bending processes.

Analysis of Electromagnetic Force And Formability of Tube Electromagnetic Bulging Based On Convex Magnetic Field Shaper

In order to solve the problems of non-uniform axial deformation and thinning of wall thickness in traditional tube electromagnetic bulging, a method of tube electromagnetic bulging based on convex magnetic field shaper is proposed in this paper. The electromagnetic-structure coupling model is constructed by using COMSOL software, and the influence of convex magnetic field shaper structure on radial and axial electromagnetic force, axial deformation uniformity and wall thickness reduction is analyzed, and compared with traditional tube electromagnetic bulging. The results show that by using this method, the axial deformation uniformity is increased by 4.2 times, and the relative wall thickness is reduced by 33%. Obviously, this method of tube bulging can effectively overcome the problems existing in traditional tube electromagnetic bulging and promote the wide application of electromagnetic forming technology.

A Review on Lightweight Metal Component Forming and its Application

The present research focused on reviewing forming technology and inspired various method forming processes for different lightweight materials. Nowadays, to improve modern automobiles’ fuel economy while preserving safety and efficiency, advanced materials are essential. Since accelerating a lighter object requires less energy than a heavier one, lightweight materials offer great potential to improve vehicle performance. Innovative forming technologies are discussed concerning each approach and their contribution to lightweight material application. New metal forming methods are implemented to fulfill lightweight material applications in various fields.

A Review on Ultrasonic-Assisted Forming: Mechanism, Model, and Process

Compared with conventional forming processes, ultrasonic-assisted forming technology with a high frequency and small amplitude can significantly improve the forming quality of materials. Owing to the advantages of reduced forming force, improved surface quality, avoidance of forming defects, and strengthened surface structure, ultrasonic-assisted forming technology has been applied to increasingly advanced forming processes, such as incremental forming, spinning, and micro-forming. However, in the ultrasonic-assisted forming process, there are multiple ultrasonic mechanisms, such as the volume effect and surface effect. The explanation of the effect of ultrasonic vibration (UV) on plastic deformation remains controversial, hindering the development of related technologies. Recently, many researchers have proposed many new theories and technologies for ultrasonic-assisted forming. To summarize these developments, systematic discussions on mechanisms, theoretical models, and forming performances are provided in this review. On this basis, the limitations of the current study are discussed. In addition, an outlook for ultrasonic-assisted forming is proposed: efficient and stable UV systems, difficulty forming components with complex geometry, explanation of the in-depth mechanism, a systematic theoretical prediction model, and multi-field-coupling energy-assisted forming are considered to be hot spots in future studies. The present review enhances existing knowledge of ultrasonic-assisted forming, and facilitates a fast reference for related researchers.