Material microstructure and surface considerations in microforming of sheet materials

微型零件的制造在许多不同的工业部门，如电子，计算机，医疗设备和汽车制造中变得越来越重要和必要。传统上，这些精密机械零件是通过机械加工制造的。净成形或近净成形工艺，例如金属板成形工艺，由于高生产率和高成本，通常更适合于小型化。拟议的研究涉及微弯曲，微拉伸弯曲和深拉伸，微剪切及其组合应用到燃料电池堆中使用的金属双极板内的复杂的微特征的创新制造的新的微成形工艺的发展。在微零件和较大零件内的微特征的形成中，将获得对微尺度下的大变形力学的更广泛和基本的理解。

The manufacturing of micro-parts has become more important and necessary in many different industrial sectors such as electronics, computers, medical devices and automotive manufacturing. Traditionally these precision mechanical parts are fabricated by machining. The net shape or near net shape processes, such as sheet metal forming processes, are often better suited for miniaturization because of high productivity and cost. The proposed research deals with development of novel micro-forming processes of microbending, micro-draw-bending and deep drawing, micro-shearing and their combined application towards innovative manufacturing of complex micro-features within metallic bipolar plates used in fuel cell stacks. A broader and fundamental understanding of the mechanics of large deformation at the micro-scale will be gained in forming of micro-parts and micro-features within larger parts.