Testing of Lubricants for DIC Tests to Measure the Forming Limit Diagrams of Aluminum Thin Sheet Materials

Abstract

We investigated lubricants and thin teflon foils that can be applied in the formability testing of the thin aluminum sheets used in the electronics and automotive industries. For the tests, thirteen different industrial lubricants (oils and greases) (i.e., L1–L13) and two Teflon films (i.e., 0.08 and 0.22 mm thick) were applied. The authors conducted an Erichsen test, and the thickness reduction of the discs was measured first. In forming-limit curve (FLC) tests, it is crucial that the stresses are localized in the central area of the specimen during forming and that biaxial deformation is maintained throughout, if possible. We aimed to achieve and fulfill this task. To perform this measurement, the GOM ARAMIS measuring system was utilized. It is an optical measuring system based on the digital image correlation (DIC) principle, capable of measuring both stresses and displacements in real time. A specific validation method was also developed to qualify the DIC system. We concluded that there was a 5% difference in Erichsen indentation (IE) number diagrams between the best (L12) and worst (L4) cases for the lubricants and oils tested, which is a significant difference for thin plates. We found that this value could be increased and improved by using Teflon discs. Furthermore, the localization of stress maxima, i.e., the centering of cracks in the specimen, could be achieved by combining Teflon discs and L12 lubricant (with appropriate layer order), which significantly aids in the recording of standard FLC diagrams. Using foils is also advantageous because they are readily available, have no expiry date, and are of less environmental concern.