Aluminum materials enjoy particular importance in the realization of lightweight construction potential. The significant adhesion tendency of aluminum materials during production processes, such as shear cutting, deep drawing or punching, is a major challenge within a wide range of industries in the mechanical engineering, automotive and aerospace industries. The material adhesion and detachment on the tools reduces the tool durability, deteriorates the product quality and increases the contamination of the machine tools.
The objective of this research project is to reduce adhesion formation during shear cutting and forming in order to prevent the development of flitters and to increase process stability and tool life. Since a suppression of the thermoelectric current causes the best reduction of cold welds, the thermoelectric behavior of the tool material is specifically adapted to the sheet material in this research project. If both Seebeck coefficients match, naturally occurring thermoelectric currents are suppressed regardless of the temperature development in the tool, thus keeping adhesion formation to a minimum. To achieve this, a tool material is coated with an established powder material by laser metal deposition, resulting in a combined system in which the Seebeck coefficients of the base and coating materials add up.
Scope:
Please send applications with a current curriculum vitae and transcript of records to: