Springback elimination for Al-6111 alloys using electrically assisted manufacturing (EAM)

Springback is one of the greatest obstacles in sheet metal forming. The present methods that are used to compensate for springback are costly and involve either a trial-and-error process or intensive mathematical modeling. Thus, a method is desired to remove or reduce the effects of springback. This paper demonstrates how Electrically Assisted Manufacturing (EAM) can be employed to reduce/eliminate springback in Al-6111 through the application of a direct electrical current after deformation. To demonstrate how the electricity affects springback, two types of tests were performed, flattening and shape-retention. The first type, flattening, was divided into two series of experiments. The first series examined electricity's effects when the pulse duration was varied. The second series studied the effect of the specimen's beginning bend radius. The effect of each parameter was analyzed by examining the reduction in the specimen's final height. The second type of test, shape retention, evaluated the extent that the electricity improved the specimen's shape retention after being removed from a circular die. It is shown that, by applying direct current to the 6111 aluminum alloy after deformation, springback can be entirely eliminated in all cases.