Research on the Springback Behavior of 316LN Stainless Steel in Micro-Scale Bending Processes

Hydrogen fuel cells have been used worldwide due to their high energy density and zero emissions. The metallic bipolar plate is the crucial component and has a significant effect on a cell's efficiency. However, the springback behavior of the metallic bipolar plate will greatly influence its forming accuracy in the micro-scale sheet metal forming process. Therefore, accurate calculation of the springback angle of the micro-scale metallic bipolar plate is urgent but difficult given the state of existing elastoplastic theory. In this paper, a constitutive model that simultaneously considers grain size effect and strain gradient is proposed to analyze micro-scale bending behavior and calculate springback angles. The specialized micro-scale four-point bending tool was designed to better calculate the springback angle and simplify the calculation step. A pure micro-bending experiment on a 316LN stainless steel sheet with a thickness of 0.1 mm was conducted to verify the constitutive model's accuracy.

Automated summary

Hydrogen fuel cells, known for their high energy density and zero emissions, are widely used worldwide. The metallic bipolar plate, a crucial component of the fuel cell, significantly affects its efficiency. However, the springback behavior of the metallic bipolar plate has a great impact on the forming accuracy in micro-scale sheet metal forming.