SHEET METAL MICRO FORMING

F. Vollertsen, H. Schulze Niehoff, H. Wielage, Z. Hu

Bremer Institut für angewandte Strahltechnik - BIAS GmbH

Abstract
Mechanical micro deep drawing becomes a more and more industrial relevant process. But due to size effects new challenges
are involved in this process compared to macro deep drawing. The size effects cause an increase of friction and thus hinder
the material flow. The change of friction in mechanical micro deep drawing is subject of the presented investigations in this
paper. Additionally to this, a new non-mechanical micro deep drawing process is presented, whereby a laser beam acts as a
punch. This new laser deep drawing process is based on a totally different mechanism compared to thermal laser forming,
e.g. forming by laser induced thermal stresses: The laser produces a pulse with an extremely high power density, which causes
plasma generation at the target and thus a shock wave. The shock wave can be used as in explosive forming, but is smaller
and easier to generate. Recent investigations showed that using this technology laser deep drawing is possible with a sheet
metal out of Al 99.5 and a thickness of 50 µm. The deep drawing process was carried out with a die diameter of 4 mm and
shows promising results.

Keywords: micro forming, laser forming, deep drawing, tribology, shock wave

1. Introduction 2. Mechanical micro deep drawing

Micro formed parts are often components of micro
system technologies (MST) or micro electro-mechanical
systems (MEMS), especially read and write heads,
inkjet printers, pressure sensors and micro fluidic chips.
They contain leverages, connector pins, resistor caps,
contact springs and chip lead frames [2]. The estimated
rise in turnover from 10 to 19 billion US $ from 2004
until 2009 [1] shows a growing demand on micro
formed parts, which is mainly driven by a rising trend
of miniaturization, see Fig. 1. Thus, investigation and
improvement of conventional micro forming processes
are needed, but also the invention of new processes is
desirable.
Fig. 1. Estimated market for selected MST and MEMS
products with micro formed components [1]
The first approach to realize micro deep drawn parts
is usually suggested by downscaling the parameters of
mechanical macro deep drawing processes according to
the theory of similarity [3]. But this procedure can cause
unexpected results, since size effects are documented
for different parameters: The flow curve, the deviation
of the flow curve and the friction change along with
miniaturization [4]. Own investigation showed that the
friction in strip drawing increases significantly, if the
process is miniaturized [5].
2.1 Method
In former investigations strip drawing was used to
determine size effects of friction in sheet metal forming,
see Fig. 2a). Therefore a friction function f(µ) could be
calculated from the process parameters and the punch
force/punch travel-curve. The strip drawing was a
simplification of the deep drawing process, since the
tangential force Ft was excluded, see Fig. 2b).
Now, a test setup is installed for micro deep drawing
including a force measurement system with accuracy
of 0.01 N and a position measurement system with
accuracy of 1 µm. We thus get the punch force/punch
travel-curve, which can in future work be used for the
calculation for friction functions for the micro deep
drawing process. But size effects can already be observed

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 SHEET METAL MICRO FORMING

F. Vollertsen, H. Schulze Niehoff, H. Wielage, Z. Hu

by the punch force/punch travel-curve, if the punch
force is normalized by the punch diameter D, the sheet
thickness s0 and the flow stress kf.
coefficient acting at different areas of the workpiece-
tool interface under different contact pressures. These
different contact pressures were accounted for by the
strip drawing test procedure described elsewhere [5].
Further work will be done to account for that also in
deep drawing.

2.2 Experimental investigations

The experimental investigations in mechanical micro

Fig. 2. a) Strip drawing and b) deep drawing in process
Storoschew [6] showed, that the maximum punch
force Fmax in deep drawing can be evaluated by:
(1)
whereby
deep drawing were carried out in order to enhance the
investigations in strip drawing to deep drawing. The
results show, that the deviation of measured parameters
is comparable high in micro deep drawing. Fig. 3 shows
6 punch force/punch travel-curves for the same micro
cup deep drawing process with a punch diameter of 1
mm. It can be seen that the maximum punch force ranges
from 1.7 to 2.7 N, which corresponds to a deviation of
37 %. Thus, the 6 curves are averaged to one curve for
further investigations.

(2)

D: blank diameter,
rZ: drawing radius and
µ: friction coefficient.

Eq. 1 and Eq. 2 give thus

(3)

Fig. 3. Deviation of the punch force in mechanical deep

drawing with 1 mm punch diameter
In all experiments D/d was held constant. The same
applies for s0/(2rz+s0). It can thus be written that
In contradiction to this, the punch force/punch travel-
curves of the cup deep drawing process with a punch
, diameter of 5 mm show a better match, see Fig. 4. The
maximum of the 6 curves ranges from 50 to 52 N, which
(4) corresponds to a deviation of only 3.8 %. This shows that
an increase of factor 10 in deviation by miniaturization
whereby C1 and C2 are constants. This shows that of the deep drawing process.
differences of the maximum punch force are only due
to friction and flow stress, if it is normalized. Within this
work the value µ in equ. (4) is called effective average
coefficient of friction, as it is an average of the friction

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SHEET METAL MICRO FORMING
F. Vollertsen, H. Schulze Niehoff, H. Wielage, Z. Hu
Fig. 4. Deviation of the punch force in mechanical deep
drawing with 5 mm punch diameter
Fig. 5. Size effects in mechanical deep drawing
If the punch force is normalized by the diameter
of the punch, the sheet thickness and the flow stress
(FP/d/s0/kf) and if the punch travel is normalized by the
punch diameter (sP/d), then differences in friction can be
observed, see Fig. 5. The normalized punch force of the
micro deep drawing process with 1 mm punch diameter
is 30-50 % higher than for the process with 5 mm punch
diameter, which means that the friction increases with
miniaturisation. The proportion of the micro friction
coefficient to the macro fiction coefficient µmicro/µmacro can
be assessed by Eq. 4 to more than 2, which corresponds
9
to the result from strip drawing. It can also be seen that
the punch force decreases, if the lubrication decreases
from 8 to 4 g/m² with a punch diameter of 5 mm. This
effect cannot be detected for the micro deep drawing
process with a punch diameter of 1 mm, where the two
curves are inconsistent and support the assumption that
the amount of lubrication in micro sheet metal forming
does not have the impact as in macro forming as it was
observed in former investigations in strip drawing. The
ratio of adhesion force to friction force within deep
drawing is about 0.001.
A summary of the size dependent friction coefficients
in cup deep drawing derived by Eq. 4 are given in Fig.
6. They are in average 0.129 for punch diameter of 1
mm, 0.075 for punch diameter of 5 mm and 0.081 for
punch diameter of 10 mm. These friction coefficients
show that if the process dimension decreases, the friction
increases.
Fig. 6. Size dependent friction coefficient in mechanical
deep drawing
3. Laser micro deep drawing
The process laser forming is actually known as a
process, where different thermal mechanisms cause
a bending of the sheet metal [7]. The most common
known thermal mechanism is the temperature gradient
mechanism, where inhomogeneous strains are applied
within the material, which results in an incremental
forming process. In contrast to this process, laser forming
can also be obtained by a non-thermal mechanism, which
uses the optical low-threshold surface breakdown [8, 9],
which results in creation of a shock wave. Its principle
 SHEET METAL MICRO FORMING

F. Vollertsen, H. Schulze Niehoff, H. Wielage, Z. Hu

was first shown by O’Keefe [10]. He used a Q-switch 3.2 Experimental investigations
Nd:YAG-Laser with a maximum power density of 1.7
GW/cm². The experiments showed thermal damaging Laser deep drawing experiments were carried out
and mechanical deformation. First own investigations in order to identify, if the laser stretch-forming process
on sheet metal forming processes were presented with can be transferred to a deep drawing process. The
Al 99.5 sheets of 50 µm thickness, which were laser decisive question was: Does the material in the flange
stretch-formed to a hemispherical dome with diameters area flow into the die during the forming process? The
between 1 and 12 mm. It was figured out that CO2-lasers first observation was, that the process is very sensitive
are due to their 40 times higher wavelength more suitable to any non-uniform conditions: Some sections of the
for this process than excimer lasers since they do not specimen are still in the blank holder area while other
cause ablation at the surface, but can just as well produce sections are completely drawn into the die, see Fig. 7.
shock waves [11, 12]. Other investigations used Nd: This phenomenon could be attenuated by an accurate
glass-lasers, whose wavelength is about 5 times higher positioning of the blank, but still not be eliminated.
than for excimer lasers but still cause ablation [13]. It is assumed that apart from the positioning of the
blank anisotropy, non-uniform forces, the high forming
3.1 Method velocity and the missing friction and the form closure at
the punch are responsible for the uneven deep drawing,
The shock wave is the responsible energy source which has to be figured out in future work.
for the forming process. Hence the forming velocity is
mainly driven through the velocity of the shock wave.
The forming behaviour can be compared to that one of a
high speed forming process like electromagnetic forming
or explosive forming. The process duration can not be
assessed yet, but it is probably longer than the laser
pulse duration of 20-80 ns since the plasma formation,
shock wave propagation and forming processes occur
successively. The laser induced shock wave can be used
in principle for all sheet metal forming processes as long
as the parts are in micro- or mesoscopic range.

Fig. 7. Uneven slipped laser deep drawn cups

Fig. 6. Schematical process of laser deep drawing

The layout of the test setup for laser deep drawing

works in analogy to the laser stretch-forming process,
see Fig. 6: A laser cut circular sheet metal is placed on
a drawing die with a die diameter of 5 mm. The blank
holder is than placed onto the blank with a blank holder
force, below the clamping force. In a next step one or
several short laser pulses hit the specimen with a focus
located at the blank surface. The high energy density
of the laser radiation initiates ionisation of the close-
by atmosphere and thus plasma formation takes place.
The propagation of the plasma causes a shock wave, if Fig. 8. Failure of laser deep drawn cups by a) tearing and
the energy density of the laser pulse exceeds a certain b) wrinkling
threshold.

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SHEET METAL MICRO FORMING
F. Vollertsen, H. Schulze Niehoff, H. Wielage, Z. Hu
However, the laser deep drawing process was then
carried out just before the material leaves the flange area
or failure occurred. Typical failures of mechanical deep
drawing processes could also be observed in laser deep
drawing, such as tearing, see Fig. 8a), and wrinkling,
see Fig. 8b). Especially the wrinkling proves that the
process changed from stretch-forming to deep drawing,
since tangential forces are needed for wrinkling, which
do not occur in stretch-forming. Moreover, a reduction
of the initial diameter by 14 % could be measured.
Fig. 9. Typical laser deep drawn cups within the process
Fig. 10. Process window for laser deep drawing
Sound part could be produced up to a drawing ratio
of 1.5 with a reduction in diameter of 8 %, see Fig. 9a)
+ b). The blank in Fig. 9a) was obviously not positioned
11
accurately, but Fig. 9b) shows a uniform drawn part,
which shows anisotropic behaviour. The variation of
the blank holder force and the drawing ratio was used to
set up a process diagram, see Fig. 10. But this diagram
cannot be used to determine the limit drawing ratio, since
the parts are not drawn in completely. It just says that
the limit drawing ratio is smaller or equal to 1.5 with an
initial blank holder pressure of 0.76 N/mm².
4. Conclusions
• Tribological size effects could be observed in
mechanical deep drawing. The friction and the
deviation of the punch force increases along with
miniaturization.
• Lubrication does not have the impact on micro
deep drawing as on macro deep drawing.
• Laser deep drawing was carried out successfully
for the first time.
• Laser deep drawing shows the similar kind of
failures as mechanical deep drawing, such as
tearing and wrinkling.
• A process window was worked out for laser deep
drawing, which shows that the limit drawing ratio
is comparable small.
5. Acknowledgement
The investigations concerning mechanical micro deep
drawing were carried out within the project VO 530/19-1
„Hochgeschwindigkeitsumformen durch laserinduzierte
Schockwellen“. The investigations in laser deep drawing
were part of the project VO 530/6-2 „Modellierung
tribologischer Größeneffekte beim Tiefziehen“. We
thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for there
financial support.
6. References
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Consulting (2006)
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445-462
[3] H. Pawelski, O. Pawelski: Technische Plastomechanik,
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Process Scaling, F. Vollertsen, F. Hollmann (eds.),
Strahltechnik, BIAS-Verlag, Bremen, Vol. 24 (2003)
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[5] F. Vollertsen, Z. Hu: Tibological Size Effects in Sheet
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[6] M.W. Storoschew, E. A. Popow: Grundlagen der
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SHEET METAL MICRO FORMING
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