Pulse current assisted drawability of AZ31B magnesium alloy sheets

The thermal effect and athermal effect such as electro-plastic effect of metallic materials induced by high density current can dramatically reduce the flow stress, which is beneficial to the forming process of less formable metal. In this paper, pulse current-assisted deep drawing of the magnesium alloy is proposed due to lower energy consumption and higher efficiency. In this process, the metal sheet is designed in series in a pulse current circuit and heated directly by the pulse current. In addition, the insulated mould is employed to avoid the current leaking. Experiments were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of the proposed process. An experimental process system was established and the electrical-assisted Erichsen cupping tests and rectangular cup drawing tests were performed. The experiments showed that the forming load was reduced and the cupping height and associated principal strains were increased in the Erichsen cupping and deep drawing process assisted by high-density electric current.