Formation of 5052 Aluminum Channels Using Electrically-Assisted Manufacturing (EAM)

In recent years, the industrial demand for strong, lightweight metal alloys, such as 5052 Aluminum, has increased. Previous research has shown that the Electrically-Assisted Manufacturing (EAM) technique, where electricity is applied to a material during deformation, improves the material behavior of most metals. By applying electricity continuously or by applying electrical pulses during deformation, the technique reduces the material’s flow stress and increases its achievable elongation. Considering this, the research presented herein investigates applying pulsed EAM when fabricating channels from Al 5052. To fully determine the technique’s influence on the manufacturing process, the effects of current density, pulse duration, pulse period, and die speed are examined. The results demonstrate that the channel formation process is improved using EAM. The improvements include reduced force/energy requirements and increased achievable channel depth.