Thermo-mechanical material response and hot sheet metal forming of Ti-6242

The thermo-mechanical response of a Ti-6242 alloy has been studied in elevated temperature compression tests (CT) together with cold and hot sheet metal forming tests (FT) to evaluate the suitability of different cold and hot sheet metal forming processes. The CT are designed to function as input for the estimation of material model parameters such as the parameters of constitutive equations. Furthermore, results from the FT will be used in correlation of finite element (FE) models for the prediction of sheet metal forming. Experiments were performed in a broad range of temperatures and strain rates. In CT at 400-900 degrees C and strain rates 0.05-1 s(-1). In FT at 20-1000 degrees C in both isothermal and non-isothermal forming, at forming velocities of 5 and 10 mm/s. The microstructures of as-received material and deformed specimens were examined using optical microscopy. Experimental results of the CT show that initial material hardening was followed by specimen failure where cracks have formed in deformation bands or by flow softening, depending on the temperature. Compressive logarithmic strains of 10-50% were achieved. The FT reveals that optimal forming conditions are a combination of forming velocity, temperature and holding time. Hence increasing forming temperatures alone does not necessary imply better forming characteristics. A change in spring-back characteristics occurred at elevated temperatures. It can be concluded that, under the current conditions in this study, Ti-6242 is suitable to be formed by hot sheet metal forming. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.