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Advanced Forming Technologies, Mechanical Performance and Structural Properties of Metallic Materials and Alloys

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Alloys".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2025 | Viewed by 11379

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yong Xu

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Guest Editor

Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Interests: metal-forming technologies; data-driven computational plasticity, including machine learning; near-net shape manufacturing; flexible forming technologies; integrated multi-scale modeling based on microstructure evolution and crystal plasticity finite-element method
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Ali Abd El-Aty

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Co-Guest Editor

1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering at Al Kharj, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
2. Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering-Helwan, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
Interests: metal forming technologies; high-speed deformation; near net shape manufacturing; flexible forming technologies; 3D Tube bending; microstructure evolution and analysis; plasticity theory; modelling deformation and fracture behaviors of sheet metals; constitutive modeling; finite element simulations for structural materials; reverse engineering and its application to material properties identification; integrated multi-scale modeling based on microstructure evolution and crystal plasticity finite element method; data-driven computational plasticity including machine learning

Dr. Sangyul Ha

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Co-Guest Editor

PKG Simulation, SK Hynix, Inc., Icheon, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea
Interests: crystal plasticity; mechanics of porous media; semiconductor packaging; multi-scale materials modeling; microstructure characterization; electron backscatter diffraction; cyber–physical system; physics-informed neural network

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advanced forming technologies have revolutionized the manufacturing industry by enabling the production of complex components with improved structural and mechanical properties. These technologies, coupled with advancements in understanding the structural properties of metallic materials and alloys, have paved the way for innovative manufacturing processes and enhanced product performance in crucial applications, including in the aerospace, automotive, and nuclear industries, opening up new possibilities for lightweight structures and sustainable manufacturing processes. Thus, understanding the mechanical performance and structural properties of metallic materials and alloys such as Ti alloys, Al alloys, Mg alloys and ultra-high-strength steels is essential for optimizing the forming processes and ensuring the reliability and functionality of the final products.

A critical aspect of advanced forming technologies is the ability to achieve precise control over the deformation process. Technologies such as incremental forming, hydroforming, high-speed forming, free bending, and superplastic forming enable the manufacturing of components with complex shapes and tailored mechanical properties. The mechanical performance of metallic materials and alloys is crucial in forming processes. Understanding the material behavior under different loading conditions is essential for optimizing the forming parameters and ensuring the desired product quality. Through experimental testing and numerical simulations, researchers can characterize the mechanical properties of metallic materials. This knowledge aids in the selection of suitable materials for specific applications and in optimizing the forming processes to achieve the desired mechanical performance. Structural properties also play a vital role in determining the overall performance and reliability of formed components. Factors such as grain structure, crystallographic texture, and phase distribution influence the material's behavior during forming and its response to external loads. Advanced characterization enables researchers to investigate these structural properties at various length scales. This knowledge helps us understand the microstructural evolution during forming, and identify potential defects or failure mechanisms and design materials with enhanced structural integrity.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to present the latest achievements in advanced metal forming technologies coupled with an understanding of the mechanical performance and structural properties of metallic materials and alloys and the latest research related to the computational approaches for metal forming technologies. Full papers, communications, and reviews focusing on new developments in the formation of advanced metallic materials and alloys are welcome.

We believe that this Special Issue will help researchers and manufacturing engineers enhance their knowledge of the present status and trends of advanced metal forming technologies, in addition to advancing their understanding of the mechanical performance and structural properties of metallic materials and alloys.

Prof. Dr. Yong Xu
Dr. Ali Abd El-Aty
Dr. Sangyul Ha
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

flexible forming technologies
high-speed deformation
structural properties
constitutive modeling
finite element modelling
computational approaches
formability
plasticity theory
experimental characterization
microstructure

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 8505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analytical and Finite Element Analysis of the Rolling Force for the Three-Roller Cylindrical Bending Process

by Doina Boazu, Ionel Gavrilescu and Felicia Stan

Materials 2024, 17(21), 5230; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17215230 - 27 Oct 2024

Viewed by 681

Abstract

In the roll bending process, the rolling force acting on the roller shafts is one of the most important parameters since, on the one hand, it determines the process settings including the pre-loading, and, on the other hand, its distribution and size may affect the integrity of both the bending system and the final product. In this study, the three-roller bending process was modeled using a two-dimensional plane–strain finite element method, and the rolling force was determined as a function of plate thickness, upper roller diameter, and yield strength for various API steel grades. Based on the numerical simulation results, a critical bending angle of 41° was identified and the rolling systems were divided into two categories, of less than or equal to, and greater than 41°, and an analytical model for predicting the maximum rolling force was developed for each category. To determine the optimal pre-tensioning force, two optimization formulations were proposed by minimizing the maximum equivalent stress and the absolute maximum displacement. The rolling forces predicted by the analytical models were found to be in good agreement with the numerical simulation results, with relative errors generally less than 10%. The predictive analytical models developed in this study capture well the complex deformation behavior that occurs during the roll bending process of steel plates, providing guidelines and predictions for industrial applications of this process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Forming Technologies, Mechanical Performance and Structural Properties of Metallic Materials and Alloys)

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33 pages, 13512 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Coherent Nanoprecipitate on Strain Hardening of Al Alloys: Breaking through the Strength-Ductility Trade-Off

by Pan Wu, Kexing Song and Feng Liu

Materials 2024, 17(17), 4197; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17174197 - 24 Aug 2024

Viewed by 960

Abstract

So-called strength-ductility trade-off is usually an inevitable scenario in precipitation-strengthened alloys. To address this challenge, high-density coherent nanoprecipitates (CNPs) as a microstructure effectively promote ductility though multiple interactions between CNPs and dislocations (i.e., coherency, order, or Orowan mechanism). Although some strain hardening theories have been reported for individual strengthening, how to increase, artificially and quantitatively, the ductility arising from cooperative strengthening due to the multiple interactions has not been realized. Accordingly, a dislocation-based theoretical framework for strain hardening is constructed in terms of irreversible thermodynamics, where nucleation, gliding, and annihilation arising from dislocations have been integrated, so that the cooperative strengthening can be treated through thermodynamic driving force

∆ G

and the kinetic energy barrier. Further combined with synchrotron high-energy X-ray diffraction, the current model is verified. Following the modeling, the yield stress

σ_{y}

is proved to be correlated with the modified strengthening mechanism, whereas the necking strain

ε_{n}

is shown to depend on the evolving dislocation density and, essentially, the enhanced activation volume. A criterion of high

∆ G

-high generalized stability is proposed to guarantee the volume fraction of CNPs improving

σ_{y}

and the radius of CNPs accelerating

ε_{n}

. This strategy of breaking the strength-ductility trade-off phenomena by controlling the cooperative strengthening can be generalized to designing metallic structured materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Forming Technologies, Mechanical Performance and Structural Properties of Metallic Materials and Alloys)

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19 pages, 11445 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy under Heat Treatment and Multi-Axial Forging

by Sijie Du, Yang Song, Yiting He, Chunhua Wei, Rongyou Chen, Shubo Guo, Wei Liang, Shengyuan Lei and Xiaohong Liu

Materials 2024, 17(5), 1060; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17051060 - 25 Feb 2024

Viewed by 2447

Abstract

The mechanical properties of various Ti-6Al-4V alloys are influenced by their respective microstructures. This study generated an ultrafine-grain (UFG) Ti-6Al-4V alloy featuring bimodal grain distribution characteristics achieved through initial heat treatment, multi-axial forging (MF), and annealing. The study also extensively examined the evolution process of the alloy’s microstructure. By subjecting the materials to heat treatments at 900 °C with air cooling and 950 °C with air cooling, both materials were found to be consisted of primary α (α_p) and transformed β (α_s+β) regions with different proportions. Following MF, the sample treated at 900 °C displays a microstructure featuring UFGs of α+β surrounding larger micron-sized α_p grains. On the other hand, the sample treated at 950 °C displays a microstructure distinguished by twisted α_s lamellar and fragmented β grains surrounding larger micron-sized α_p grains. Following annealing, no significant grain growth was observed in the sample. The geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) within the UFGs were eliminated, though some GNDs persisted within the α_p grains. The samples undergoing the 900 °C heat treatment, MF, and subsequent annealing exhibited elevated strength (1280 MPa) and total elongation (10.7%). This investigation introduces a novel method for designing the microstructure of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy to achieve superior performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Forming Technologies, Mechanical Performance and Structural Properties of Metallic Materials and Alloys)

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20 pages, 9567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Finite Element Analysis and Experimental Study of Manufacturing Thin-Walled Five-Branched AISI 304 Stainless Steel Tubes with Different Diameters Using a Hydroforming Process

by Ali Abd El-Aty, Yong Xu, Wenlong Xie, Liang-Liang Xia, Yong Hou, Shihong Zhang, Mohamed M. Z. Ahmed, Bandar Alzahrani, Alamry Ali, Xinyue Huang and Arafa S. Sobh

Materials 2024, 17(1), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17010104 - 25 Dec 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1536

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the feasibility of hydroforming (HF) technology coupled with response surface optimization for producing high-quality five-branched AISI 304 stainless steel tubes with different diameters, addressing the shortcomings of traditional manufacturing processes. Conventional techniques often result in issues with multiple consumables, low precision, and subpar performance. The research focuses on finding optimal forming parameters for a more effective process. Initial attempts at a five-branched tube proved unfeasible. Instead, a multi-step forming approach was adopted, starting with the formation of the upper branch tube followed by the two reducing lower branch tubes, a strategy termed “first three, then five”. This method, enhanced by a subsequent solid solution treatment, yielded promising results: the combined height of the upper and lower branches was 141.1 mm, with a maximum thinning rate of 26.67%, reduced to 25.33% after trimming. These outcomes met the product usage requirements. Additionally, the study involved designing and developing dies for manufacturing five-branched tubes with different diameters using servo HF equipment. The effectiveness of the multi-step forming process and parameter combinations was confirmed through experimental validation, aligning closely with the FE simulation results. The maximum thinning rate observed in the experiments was 27.60%, indicating that FE simulation and response surface methodology can effectively guide the production of high-quality parts with superior performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Forming Technologies, Mechanical Performance and Structural Properties of Metallic Materials and Alloys)

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17 pages, 7921 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hydraulic Expansion Joint Contact State of Heat Exchanger Based on New Contact Area Measurement Method

by Wenze Zhang, Jianwei Liu, Jianping Ma, Yulin He and Sunbing Wu

Materials 2023, 16(23), 7448; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16237448 - 30 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1124

Abstract

The contact state of a seamless internal threaded copper tube and an aluminium foil fin not only affects the heat transfer efficiency of a tube–fin heat exchanger but also seriously affects its service life. In this study, hydraulic expansion technology was used to connect the copper tube with an internal thread with a 7 mm diameter to the fin of the heat exchanger. The influence of the expansion pressure and pressure holding time on the contact state was analysed through experiments and finite element simulation, and the variation law of the two on the contact state was obtained. The contact state was characterised by the contact gap and contact area. In order to obtain the specific contact area value, a new method of measuring the contact area was developed to reveal the variation in contact area between the copper tube and the fin after expansion. The results show that the contact gap decreases with an increase in expansion pressure, while the pressure holding time remains the same. The contact area increases with an increase in expansion pressure, and the rate of increase slows. When the expansion pressure is 18 MPa, the average contact gap is approximately 0.018 mm. When the expansion pressure reaches 16 MPa, the contact area ratio is 91.0%. When the expansion pressure increases to 18 MPa, the contact area ratio only increases by approximately 0.6%. Compared with the influence of the expansion pressure on the increase in contact area, the influence of the pressure holding time on the contact area is lower. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Forming Technologies, Mechanical Performance and Structural Properties of Metallic Materials and Alloys)

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16 pages, 8293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling and Experimental Investigation of U-R Relationship of AA6061-T6 Tubes Manufactured via Free Bending Forming Process

by Ali Abd El-Aty, Cheng Cheng, Yong Xu, Yong Hou, Jie Tao, Shenghan Hu, Bandar Alzahrani, Alamry Ali, Mohamed M. Z. Ahmed and Xunzhong Guo

Materials 2023, 16(23), 7385; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16237385 - 27 Nov 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1162

Abstract

Forming tubes with various bending radii without changing the bending dies is much easier for the 3D free bending forming (FBF) process. In the 3D-FBF process, different bending radii were realized by adapting the eccentricities of the bending dies. The accuracy of the U-R curve is crucial for the precision forming of complex bending components. In this study, the U-R relation curve of the Al alloy tube with a specific friction coefficient, fixed geometry size, clearance between tubes, and bending die was fitted first based on the forming results of AA6061-T6 tubes under different eccentricities. Second, the U-R relationship curve based on the experiment is used to propose the U-R relationship’s mathematical formula based on many hypotheses. Finally, the modified U-R mathematical formula was applied in the finite element (FE) simulation and the actual FBF experiments for the AA6061-T6 Al alloy complex shape space bending members. The U-R relationship curve’s reliability was verified by comparing the simulation and experimental results. The results obtained from the modified U-R relationship align well with the FE modeling results and can be directly applied to the bending process for the intended components. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Forming Technologies, Mechanical Performance and Structural Properties of Metallic Materials and Alloys)

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18 pages, 18778 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In-Situ Study on the Tensile Deformation and Fracture Mechanism of a Bimodal-Structured Mg-Gd-Y Alloy

by Jiangli Ning, Bosong Gao, Jialiao Zhou, Liansheng Chen, Guangze Tang and Shubo Li

Materials 2023, 16(17), 5978; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16175978 - 31 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1177

Abstract

The as-extruded (EX) Mg-Gd-Y alloy studied here exhibited a bimodal structure, composed of fine dynamic recrystallized (DRXed) grains with random orientations and longitudinal coarse hot-worked grains. The slip analysis showed the DRXed grains exhibited mainly basal slips, while the hot-worked grains exhibited mainly prismatic slips during the tensile deformation. The distribution of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) showed that there was strain partitioning between the fine and coarse grain regions. The hetero-deformation induced (HDI) hardening occurred between the two domains. It improves the strength and strain hardening capability of the alloy, leading to good strength-ductility synergy. Microcracks tended to nucleate at the DRXed grain boundaries, as well as at the interface between the two domains. The calculation of geometric compatibility parameter (m’) indicated that strain incompatibility between the adjacent grains induced the crack nucleation. The toughening effect of the fine DRXed grains hindered the crack propagation. However, the major crack formed at the interface between the two domains propagated unstably, due to the high stress concentration and the large crack size, causing the final failure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Forming Technologies, Mechanical Performance and Structural Properties of Metallic Materials and Alloys)

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13 pages, 11775 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fatigue Behavior of the FGH96 Superalloy under High-Temperature Cyclic Loading

by Zhengguang Li, Haiqin Qin, Kejun Xu, Zhenbo Xie, Pengcheng Ji and Mingming Jia

Materials 2023, 16(17), 5883; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16175883 - 28 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1165

Abstract

Strain-controlled low-cycle fatigue (LCF) tests and stress-controlled creep-fatigue interaction (CFI) tests on the FGH96 superalloy were carried out at 550 °C to obtain the cyclic softening/hardening characteristics at different strain amplitudes and ratcheting strain characteristics under different hold time. The failure mechanism of the FGH96 superalloy under different loading conditions was analyzed through fracture observations. The results show that the FGH96 superalloy exhibits different cyclic softening/hardening characteristics at different strain amplitudes, and the introduction of the hold time at peak stress exacerbates the ratcheting strain of the FGH96 superalloy under asymmetric stress cycles. Fracture observations show that the magnitude of the strain amplitude, high-temperature oxidation, and the introduction of the hold time will affect the mechanical properties of the FGH96 superalloy and change its fracture mode. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Forming Technologies, Mechanical Performance and Structural Properties of Metallic Materials and Alloys)

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