Experimental investigation of flow forming forces in Al7075 and Al2014 – A comparative study

Abstract Flow forming is an important cold forming process that is used for producing axisymmetric jobs. The present investigation discusses the flow forming of Al2014 and Al7075. The flow forming forces were measured in the axial, circumferential, and radial directions using a Lathe dynamometer. The impact of changes in feed and mandrel speed on flow forming forces has been analyzed. The investigation showed that the axial force is the main dominating force, followed by the radial force in both Al2014 and Al7075. The average axial force in Al7075 under the same set of conditions was around 13–20% higher than Al2014 depending on feed and mandrel speed. The present investigation also suggests the change in feed rate has higher effect in Al2014 as compared to 7075 keeping other factors as constant.