Forming of Complex Functional Elements on Sheet Metal

The rising demands on forming processes regarding the functional integration of components and lightweight construction pose a challenge to conventional processes. In that context, the application of bulk forming operations on sheet metal semi-finished products - also referred to as sheet-bulk metal forming (SBMF) - is a suitable approach to meet these challenges. One of the most relevant industrial forming processes is the cold extrusion, which enables a high material and energy efficiency. Furthermore, extruded components show beneficial mechanical properties, a high surface quality and can be produced with a near net-shape geometry. However, the application of cold forming processes for SBMF is limited due to an insufficient die filling and high tool loads. In order to meet these challenges and overcome resulting limitations, it is necessary to enhance the process understanding. This is achieved by establishing two different reference processes (forward and lateral extrusion) for the manufacturing of functional integrated geared components and the basic analysis of the occurring material flow and tool load in sheet-bulk metal forming processes. Through a combination of numerical and experimental analysis, similarities and differences between both processes are investigated. It is shown that design parameters, tribological conditions, as well as process parameters, substantially influence the process result, regarding achievable accuracy and tool load. The gained process understanding is used to identify limitations and to derive measures to expand the process boundaries.