Subregional flexible-die control in magnetorheological pressure forming

Magnetorheological pressure forming (MRPF) has shown great flexibility in process control by adjusting the mechanical property of MR fluid. However, the regulation of flexible-die property at present is holistic. In this paper, MRPF based on subregional flexible-die control was proposed, which makes the MR fluid show different force transfer characteristics to meet the requirements of flexible-die performance in different areas. Two kinds of non-uniform magnetic fields were established using the combination of coil and iron core groups based on the measurement and finite element simulations. The MRPF experiments of the Al1060-O sheet using the holistic and subregional flexible-die control methods were conducted. The effects of subregional flexible-die control on loading curve, strain distribution, configuration, wall thickness thinning rate, and fracture characteristics were analyzed. Compared with the case that the specimen ellipticity changes little under the central-dominated magnetic field (CMF), the ellipticity gradually decreases under the fringing-dominated magnetic field (FMF) with the increase of the current. The fracture modes can be divided into three types, and the fracture position transfers from the center of the specimen to the circle of R10mm and then to the die fillet area. The influence mechanism of subregional flexible-die control on sheet deformation behavior and fracture mode is further clarified. The non-uniform distribution of cavity pressure and friction conditions caused by the magnetorheological effect is the main factor affecting the stress states and final deformation behavior of sheet metal. This study provides a new path for intelligent control in sheet metal forming of complex thin-walled parts.