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Commercial electrical conductor wires are currently produced from aluminum alloys by multi-step deformation processing involving rolling and drawing. These processes typically require 10 to 20 steps of deformation, since the plastic strain or reduction that can be imposed in a single step is limited by material workability and process mechanics. Here, we demonstrate a fundamentally different, single-step approach to produce flat wire aluminum products using machining-based deformation that also ensures adequate material workability in the formed product. Two process routes are proposed: (1) chip formation by free-machining (FM), with a post-machining, light drawing reduction (<20%) to achieve desired finish and (2) constrained chip formation by large strain extrusion machining (LSEM). Using commercially pure aluminum conductor alloys (Al 1100 and EC1350) as representative material systems, we demonstrate key features of the machining-based processing, including (a) single-step processing to achieve flat wire geometries, (b) surface finish (Ra = 0.2 to 1.0 µm) comparable to that of commercial wire products made by drawing/rolling, (c) deformation control independent of wire size, and (d) hardness increases of 50-150% over that of annealed wires, while retaining high electrical conductivity (>56% IACS). The wire microstructure, which can also be varied via the large-strain deformation parameters, is correlated with mechanical and electrical properties. Implications for commercial manufacture of flat wire products are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A formulation of dislocation-indenter interaction in two-dimensional, isotropic elasticity is presented. A significant dislocation-indenter interaction is predicted when dislocations are nucleated very close to the indenter. This interaction is expected to have an important influence on dislocation motion and multiplication. Upon nucleation close to the indenter, the dislocations are shown to modify the load, load distribution, and moment acting on the indenter. This effect is seen to vary with the indentation contact length. Further away from the indenter, the indenter-dislocation interaction is shown to be negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear banding, a type of inhomogeneous plastic flow involving very large local strains, occurs in a variety of material systems. We study dynamics of evolution of single shear bands at strain rates of up to per second in three different polycrystalline metal systems, using a special shear deformation framework and a micro-marker technique calibrated to track localised deformation fields at micrometer resolution. Once a band is nucleated as a weak interface, localised plastic flow occurs via Bingham-type viscous sliding between material segments on either side of the interface. As a result, the evolution and magnitude of strains and material displacements in the band vicinity are well-described by a model based on momentum diffusion. The viscosity at the band interface is very small, only a few mPa·sec, and is comparable to those of liquid metals at their melting point. Based on analysis of various contributions to band viscosity at the microscopic level, a plausible explanation based on phonon drag on dislocation motion is presented for the small viscosity. The accuracy of predictions made by the momentum diffusion model for different materials and deformation rates suggests that once nucleated, a shear band evolves by a common mechanism that is relatively insensitive to microstructure details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple shear deformation via hybrid cutting-extrusion is used to produce continuous electrical steel sheet from a commercial high-silicon (nominal 4 wt%) iron alloy of poor workability in a single deformation step, a fundamentally different route from the multi-step processing of rolling and annealing currently in use. The shear texture created in the sheet is found to be quite different from that produced by rolling. The magnetic properties of the shear-textured Fe–Si sheet are measured using closed-circuit permeametry and compared with those from sheet produced by rolling of the same alloy and a commercial non-grain-oriented sheet of similar composition. Properties compared include maximum relative permeability, induction, coercivity, and hysteresis loss. The results are interpreted in terms of microstructure, texture, and composition. A unit cell representation of the shear texture components is introduced that relates the expected orientation of easy magnetization directions with the sheet axes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheet processing of high Si-Fe alloys (up to 6.5 wt pct Si) is demonstrated by application of highly confined shear deformation in cutting-extrusion. This alloy system, of major interest to electromagnetic applications, is characterized by poor workability. By a suitable interactive combination of simple shear, high strain rates, near-adiabatic heating, and large hydrostatic pressure in the deformation zone, flow localization, and cracking inherent to this alloy system are suppressed. This enables creation of sheet and foil forms from bulk ingots, cast or wrought, in a single deformation step, unlike rolling. The sheet is characterized by strong shear textures, described by partial {110} and 〈111〉 fibers, and fine-grained microstructures (~20 µm grain size). The orientation (inclination) of these fibers, with respect to the sheet surface, can be varied over a range of 35 deg through selection of the deformation path. In contrast to rolling textures, the current shear deformation textures are negligibly influenced by recrystallization annealing. A recovery-based continuous recrystallization mechanism is proposed to explain the texture retention. Some general implications for shear-based processing of alloys of limited workability are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinematic flow pattern in slow deformation of a model dense granular medium is studied at high resolution using in situ imaging, coupled with particle tracking. The deformation configuration is indentation by a flat punch under macroscopic plane-strain conditions. Using a general analysis method, velocity gradients and deformation fields are obtained from the disordered grain arrangement, enabling flow characteristics to be quantified. The key observations are the formation of a stagnation zone, as in dilute granular flow past obstacles; occurrence of vortices in the flow immediately underneath the punch; and formation of distinct shear bands adjoining the stagnation zone. The transient and steady state stagnation zone geometry, as well as the strength of the vortices and strain rates in the shear bands, are obtained from the experimental data. All of these results are well-reproduced in exact-scale non-smooth contact dynamics simulations. Full 3D numerical particle positions from the simulations allow extraction of flow features that are extremely difficult to obtain from experiments. Three examples of these, namely material free surface evolution, deformation of a grain column below the punch and resolution of velocities inside the primary shear band, are highlighted. The variety of flow features observed in this model problem also illustrates the difficulty involved in formulating a complete micromechanical analytical description of the deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow dynamics, deformation fields and chipparticle formation in cutting and sliding of metals are analysed, in situ, using high-speed imaging and particle image velocimetry. The model system is a brass workpiece loaded against a wedge indenter at low speeds. At large negative rake angles, the flow is steady with a prow of material forming ahead of the indenter. There is no material removal and a uniformly strained layer develops on the workpiece surface--the pure sliding regime. When the rake angle is less negative, the flow becomes unsteady, triggered by formation of a crack on the prow free surface and material removal ensuing--the cutting regime. The strain on the prow surface at crack initiation is found to be constant. Chip morphologies, such as discrete particle, segmented chip and continuous chip with mesoscale roughness, are shown to arise from a universal mechanism involving propagation of the prow crack, but to different distances towards the indenter tip. The simple shear deformation in continuous chip formation shows small-angle oscillations also linked to the prow crack. Implications for material removal processes and ductile failure are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Surface integrity characteristics of machined Inconel 718 have been measured using experimental techniques, such as FEG-SEM, EBSD, XRD, TEM, nano-indentation and 3D optical microscopy. Nanosized grains typical of severe plastic deformation are characteristic of the machined surface while deformation in the form of plastic slip bands is typical of subsurface layers. Correlations are presented between deformation features on the machined surface, and cutting parameters and tool wear. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A study is made of the rotation field in wedge indentation of metals using copper as the model material system. Wedges with apical angles of 60° and 120° are used to indent annealed copper, and the deformation is mapped using image correlation. The indentation of annealed and strain-hardened copper is simulated using finite element analysis. The rotation field, derived from the deformation measurements, provides a clear way of distinguishing between cutting and compressive modes of deformation. Largely unidirectional rotation on one side of the symmetry line with small spatial rotation gradients is characteristic of compression. Bidirectional rotation with neighboring regions of opposing rotations and locally high rotation gradients characterizes cutting. In addition, the rotation demarcates such characteristic regions as the pile-up zone in indentation of a strain-hardened metal. The residual rotation field obtained after unloading is essentially the same as that at full load, indicating that it is a scalar proxy for plastic deformation as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Shear-based deformation processing by hybrid cutting-extrusion and free machining are used to make continuous strip, of thickness up to 1 mm, from low-workability AA6013-T6 in a single deformation step. The intense shear can impose effective strains as large as 2 in the strip without pre-heating of the workpiece. The creation of strip in a single step is facilitated by three factors inherent to the cutting deformation zone: highly confined shear deformation, in situ plastic deformation-induced heating, and high hydrostatic pressure. The hybrid cutting-extrusion, which employs a second die located across from the primary cutting tool to constrain the chip geometry, is found to produce strip with smooth surfaces (Sa < 0.4 μm) that is similar to cold-rolled strip. The strips show an elongated grain microstructure that is inclined to the strip surfaces-a shear texture-that is quite different from rolled sheet. This shear texture (inclination) angle is determined by the deformation path. Through control of the deformation parameters such as strain and temperature, a range of microstructures and strengths could be achieved in the strip. When the cutting-based deformation was done at room temperature, without workpiece preheating, the starting T6 material was further strengthened by as much as 30% in a single step. In elevated-temperature cutting-extrusion, dynamic recrystallization was observed, resulting in a refined grain size in the strip. Implications for deformation processing of age-hardenable Al alloys into sheet form, and microstructure control therein, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study has been made of the flow field in indentation of a model granular material. A granular ensemble composed of spherical sand particles with average size of 0.4 mm is indented with a flat ended punch under plane-strain conditions. The region around the indenter is imaged in situ using a high-speed charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging system. By applying a hybrid image analysis technique to image sequences of the indentation, flow parameters such as velocity, velocity gradient, and strain rate are measured at high resolution. The measurements have enabled characterization of the main features of the flow such as dead material zones, velocity jumps, localization of deformation, and regions of highly rotational flow resembling vortices. Implications for validation of theoretical analyses and applications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanics of large-strain deformation in cutting of metals is discussed, primarily from viewpoint of recent developments in in situ analysis of plastic flow and microstructure characterization. It is shown that a broad range of deformation parameters can be accessed in chip formation--strains of 1-10, strain rates of 10-105/s, and temperatures up to 0.7Tm--and controlled. This range is far wider than achievable by any other single-stage, severe plastic deformation (SPD) process. The resulting extreme deformation conditions produce a rich variety of microstructures in the chip. Four principal types of chip formation--continuous, shear-localized, segmented, and mushroom-type--as elucidated first by Nakayama (1974, "The Formation of 'Saw-Toothed Chip' in Metal Cutting," Proceedings of International Conference on Production Engineering, Tokyo, pp. 572-577) are utilized to emphasize the diverse plastic flow phenomena, especially unsteady deformation modes that prevail in cutting. These chip types are intimately connected with the underlying flow, each arising from a distinct mode and triggered by an instability phenomenon. The role of plastic flow instabilities such as shear banding, buckling, and fracture in mediating unsteady flow modes is expounded, along with consequences of the flow modes and chip types for the cutting. Sinuous flow is shown to be the reason why gummy (highly strain-hardening) metals, although relatively soft, are so difficult to cut. Synthesizing the various observations, a hypothesis is put forth that it is the stability of flow modes that determines the mechanics of cutting. This leads to a flow-stability phase diagram that could provide a framework for predicting chip types and process attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding transitions from homogeneous to localized flow, and mechanisms underlying flow localization, is of paramount importance for deformation processing of magnesium. In this study, a shear-based deformation method is utilized for imposing large strains ( ∼ 1 ), under controllable strain rates (10–10 5 /s) and temperatures (80–300 °C), in order to examine flow patterns in a magnesium alloy. Based on microstructure characterization, deformation twinning is suggested to contribute to the localized flow at temperatures below 200 °C and at low strain rates. The transition from the localized to homogeneous flow with increasing temperature is due to reduction in twinning activity, and enhanced strain-rate sensitivity. At constant temperature, an increase in the strain rate decreases the propensity for flow localization. A model is presented for characterizing the maximum uniform strain as a function of temperature and deformation state (simple shear, plane-strain compression). The model incorporates temperature-sensitive microstructural changes and flow properties of magnesium into a classical framework to capture the flow localization phenomena at low temperatures and strain rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The specific energy in modulation assisted machining (MAM) – machining with superimposed low frequency (<1000Hz) modulation in the feed direction – is estimated from direct measurements of cutting forces. Reductions of up to 70% in the energy are observed relative to that in conventional machining, when cutting ductile metals such as copper and Al 6061T6. Evidence based on chip structures and strains, stored energy of cold work, recrystallization, and finite element simulation of chip formation, is presented to show that this reduction is due to smaller strain levels in chips created by MAM. A simple geometric ratio of the length to thickness of the ‘undeformed chip’, which can be estimated a priori from MAM and machining parameters, is shown to be a predictor of the transient chip formation conditions that result in the reduction in specific energy and deformation levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An analysis of the mechanics of large strain extrusion machining (LSEM), a constrained chip formation process, is presented for deformation processing of bulk alloys. The deformation field is shown to be narrowly confined and controllable, with attributes ranging from conventional deformation processing to severe plastic deformation. Controllable deformation parameters include strain/strain rate, hydrostatic pressure, temperature and deformation path. These attributes are highlighted in deformation processing of Mg AZ31B, an alloy of commercial significance but noted for its poor workability, into sheet and foil forms. Noteworthy features of the processing are suppression of segmentation, realization of a range of strains and deformation rates, engineering of microstructures ranging from conventional to ultrafine grained, and creation of sheet/foil from the bulk in a single step of deformation without pre-heating. Guidelines for realizing specific sheet attributes, and scalability of LSEM for production are analyzed and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The deformation history and state of machined surfaces in low-speed cutting of metals with sharp, wedge-shaped tools have been characterized using high-speed image analysis, complemented by hardness and microstructure study. Large surface and subsurface strains are observed, and have been shown to arise from the severe plastic deformation intrinsic to chip formation. The deformation history of the chip and the near-surface region during the process of surface generation are found to be equivalent. The dependence of surface and subsurface deformation on parameters such as tool rake angle and undeformed chip thickness has been explored. The subsurface strain distribution is shown to scale with undeformed chip thickness (self-similarity), and to be influenced by the rake angle. Based on the observations, and process–deformation–microstructure correlations, a framework is developed for directly engineering surfaces with controlled deformation levels and microstructures by machining. The results also offer scope for enhanced validation of machining simulations and future development of multiscale models of machining. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The deformation field in machining was controlled to access a range of deformation parameters—strains of 1–15, strain rates of 10–100,000s−1 and temperatures of up to 0.4 T m—in the severe plastic deformation (SPD) of copper. This range is far wider than has been accessed to date in conventional SPD methods, enabling a study of the interactive effects of the parameters on microstructure and strength properties. Nano-twinning was demonstrated at strain rates as small as 1000s−1 at −196°C and at strain rates of ⩾10,000s−1 even when the deformation temperature was well above room temperature. Bi-modal grain structures were produced in a single stage of deformation through in situ partial dynamic recrystallization. The SPD conditions for engineering specific microstructures by deformation rate control are presented in the form of maps, both in deformation parameter space and in terms of the Zener–Hollomon parameter. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Severe plastic deformation of titanium at near-ambient temperature has been realized using large-strain machining. The material that received the highest levels of strain, the chip, is found to have a nanocrystalline structure with ∼100nm sized grains. This microstructure is finer than that observed in titanium following equal channel angular pressing at elevated temperatures. The machined surface of the workpiece is found to have a graded microstructure composed of ultrafine grains at and near the surface and a preponderance of twins further into the subsurface. The parameters of the large-strain deformation field, namely strain rate and strain, are obtained using an adaptation of a particle image velocimetry technique. The microstructure characteristics are shown to be a consequence of the deformation field parameters, which activate both twinning and dislocation-mediated mechanisms of plastic flow. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]