Constitutive Model Calibration for Powder Compaction Using Instrumented Die Testing

Calibration procedures for constitutive models for powder compaction are presented. A practical calibration method based on a die compaction experiment is presented. A newly developed apparatus consisting of a die instrumented with radial stress sensors is described. The paper proposes two contributions to account for errors present in instrumented die testing, which are due to 1) elastic compliance of the testing frame, influencing the measurement of axial strain and 2) the presence on non-homogeneous stress state in the test specimen. It is shown that system compliance is important for generating an accurate stress-strain curve for compression. The effect of different compliance correction methods is evaluated with regard to the accuracy of models predicting pressing forces. The system compliance becomes more significant during unloading in the die; this information is used to determine the elastic properties. A new compliance correction method is introduced following a detailed analysis of the forces and deformations of different parts of the loading frame. In instrumented die compaction the axial and radial stresses are measured at fixed locations and the specimen is subject to non-homogeneous stresses and strains due to the effect of friction between the powder and die wall. Starting from the Janssen-Walker method of differential slices a method to account for non-homogeneous stress and strain is developed.