Studies on friction behaviour of aluminium AA4032 alloy during forging using ring compression test

Abstract

In metal forming, friction has a negative effect on the deformation load & energy requirements, homogeneity of metal flow, quality of formed surfaces, etc.; however, its effect can be reduced through the use of proper lubricants. Mostly, in industrial applications, selection of proper lubricant for specific material is challenging and quantification of magnitude of friction at diework piece interface is essential. Hence, for metallic alloys, a realistic friction factor is needed to be known and used at the diework piece interface for better control of deformation process. Thus, this research, generally, aims at experimental investigation of the friction behavior of aluminum AA4032 alloy and selection of suitable lubricant for its effective processing using ring compression test and finite element (FE) simulations. Meanwhile, the effect of metal surface conditions and different lubricants namely palm oil, grease, emulsion oil and dry conditions on the friction behaviour has been evaluated. A commercial FEM software, DEFORM 3D, is used to analyze the flow of metal, determine the geometry changes of the specimen and generate friction calibration curves. The results revealed that the nature of metal surface and lubricating conditions have significantly affected the metal flow pattern, deformation load requirement, induced effective stress and strain, and geometry of the metal. The friction factor at die-work piece is determined for different lubricating conditions. Among lubricants employed, palm oil is found to be suitable and effective for industrial processing of aluminium AA4032 alloy, specifically for forging. The FE simulation results are in a good agreement with the experimental one.