HARDNESS EFFECT OF POLYURETHANE RUBBER ON MESOSCALE RUBBER PAD FORMING

Abstract: Mesoscale parts are the parts whose two dimensions are in the range between 0.1 and 10 mm. Owing to the increasing demand on miniaturized devices or machines, requires the production of miniaturized pats. Mainly, mesoscale parts are utilized in electronic devices, aircraft industry, and defense industry. Because of small dimensions, conventional type of forming is difficult and can be expensive. In this study, meso/miniature forming with flexible die was investigated numerically and experimentally. Dome shape was studied for aluminum 1100 H14 sheet as a workpiece using polyurethane rubber as flexible material. The analyses were carried out for polyurethane rubber with two different hardness values (60A and 80A Shore) and for the conventional (metal to metal) forming process. Also, experiments were conducted to verify the finite element analysis (FEA) results. The results show that tearing in conventional forming was prevented by using flexible die. The process is applicable for forming of mesoscale parts without excessive thinning. Also, the harder polyurethane is better to get desired final geometry than the softer one.

Keywords: Finite element, Flexile die, Mesoscale, Rubber pad, Sheet metal forming.