Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol.

371 (2013) pp 163-167 Online: 2013-08-30

© (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland
doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.371.163

Influence of the Thickness Value on the Mechanical

and Formability Properties of the CuZn37 Thin Sheet Metal
BRABIE Gheorghea, NANU Neculaib and JITARU Augustinc
University of Bacau, IMSI Department, Calea Marasesti 157, 600115, Bacau, Romania
a b c
g-brabie@ub.ro, nicu.nanu@ub.ro, jitaruaugustin@yahoo.com

Keywords: thin sheet metal, mechanical and formability properties, FLC, image correlation.

Abstract. The increase of the degree of miniaturization of the mechanical systems leads to the
increase of the production requirements for micro or mili parts made using the micro and milli deep
drawing processes. In the case of micro or mili drawn parts, the sheet thickness has an important
influence on the intensity of the specific phenomena that occur during micro and milli cold forming
and has also an important effect on the drawn part integrity or accuracy. The present study was
focused on the investigation of the material behaviour, including mechanical properties and forming
limit curve of CuZn37 when different thicknesses of sheets are used. For this purpose, experimental
determinations were made by using the following two values of the sheet thickness: 0.1 and 0.2 mm.
For each sheet thickness, the mechanical properties and the forming limit curves (FLC) were
determined and compared. The obtained results concerning the influence of the sheet thickness on
the material mechanical and formability properties shown that the level of the stress strain curve
determined for the sheet thickness having 0.1 mm is greater than in the case of sheet thickness
having 0.2 mm but the maximum strain and the anisotropy coefficients are lower. The level of the
forming limit curves (FLC) in the case of sheet thickness having 0.2 mm is greater than in the case
when the sheet thickness is equal to 0.1 mm.

Introduction
The increase of the degree of miniaturization of the mechanical systems leads to the increase of
the requirements for micro or milli parts made using the micro and milli deep drawing process [1].
The micro and mili forming technologies are especially used to manufacture the components of the
electronic or medical equipments [2]. In order to perform the micro and mili drawn parts, the macro
scale cold forming technologies must be adapted to micro and mili scale technologies that are
characterized by specific phenomena that have an important effect on the part quality and integrity
[3, 4]. These phenomena are determined by the behaviour of the very thin sheet metal, by the small
dimensions of the parts and tools or by the frictional behaviour of the thin material. Thus, once the
sheet thickness and tool dimension decreases, the material behaviour is changed and the part quality
can be strongly affected [5, 6, 7, 8, 9].
The present study was focused on the investigation of the material behaviour, including
mechanical and formability properties of the thin sheet metal made from a CuZn37 alloy when
different thicknesses of sheet are used. For this purpose, the experimental investigations were made
by using two values of the thickness: 0.1 and 0.2 mm. For each sheet thickness, the mechanical
properties and forming limit curves (FLC) were determined and compared. The determination of the
mechanical properties was performed by using the tensile test combined with the image correlation
method. To make possible the determination of the anisotropy coefficients the strains were
measured in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the samples. The determination of forming
limit curve was performed by using the modified Marciniak method combined also with the image
correlation method. The obtained results shown that both mechanical and formability properties
characterized by the stress – strain and forming limit curves, respectively are sensitive to the
thickness of the sheet.

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164 Innovative Manufacturing Engineering

Methodology of Experimental Investigation

The chemical composition of the used CuZn37 alloy is given in Table 1. The determination of
the mechanical properties of the thin sheet metal was performed by using a Lloyd tensile-
compression testing machine. The geometry of the sample is given in Fig. 1.

Table 1. Chemical composition of CuZn37

Elements [%]
Material
Cu Zn Pb
CuZn37 64.54 35.33 0.012

10
70
100

Fig. 1. Sample geometry

The thicknesses of the samples were equal to 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm. For each thickness values the
following loading directions were considered: 0°, 45° and 90° from rolling direction. The tensile
force was determined by using a XLC-50K-A1 load cell and the strains were measured by using the
ARAMIS System based on the image correlation method (Fig. 2). In order to reduce the
measurement errors, for each loading direction three tests were made and an average between the
measured values was calculated. The thickness of the samples equal to 0.1mm was obtained from a
multiple rolling of the sheet having the thickness equal to 0.2 mm. After each rolling the material
was annealed at a temperature equal to 800° C. The rolling process was performed by using a
Durston rolling equipment (Fig. 3).

Fig. 2. Strains determination using the Fig. 3. Durston rolling equipment

image correlation method

The formability properties of the CuZn37 thin sheet metal were determined based on the forming
limit curves constructed by using the modified Marciniak method [10]. The geometry of the used
samples are presented in Fig. 4 and the construction of the mini Marciniak device (having the
punch diameter equal to 9 mm and the inner diameter of die equal to 10 mm) is shown in Fig. 5.a.
The tools were mounted on a special device that was attached to the Lloyd tensile-compression
testing machine (Fig. 5.b).The samples were made as in the case of the previous samples for tensile
test, from sheets having the thicknesses equal to 0.1 and 0.2 mm.
 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 371 165

Fig. 4. Samples geometry used in mini Marciniak test

a) Mini Marciniak tools b) Micro/milli testing equipment c) resulted parts

Fig. 5. Tools, equipment, and parts used in the modified Marciniak testing method

The strains were registered during testing process using the ARAMIS system (Fig. 6a) and were
processed based on the ARAMIS Software. The forming limit curve was also determined by using
ARAMIS Software (Fig. 6.b).

a) ARAMIS System b) ARAMIS Software

Fig. 6. ARAMIS System and ARAMIS Software
Analysis of the Experimental Results
The mechanical properties and forming limit curves in the case of CuZn37 thin sheet metal
determined for each thickness and for each direction in report to rolling direction are presented in
Fig. 7.

a) Thickness equal to 0.1 mm b) Thickness equal to 0.2 mm

Fig. 7. Real stress –strain curves obtained for each rolling direction
166 Innovative Manufacturing Engineering

The real stress strain curve were obtained from the engineering stress strain curves taking into
account the variation of sample section during deformation. The real stresses and strains were
obtained as follows:
ε r = ln (1 + ε e ), σ r = σ e (1 + ε e ) , (1)
where ε r and σ r represents real strain and tress and ε e and σ e represents engineering strain and
stress obtained from the tensile test data.
The obtained data shows that for each direction a different behaviour resulted concerning the
variation of stresses and strains. The stress strain curve corresponding to rolling direction equal to 0º
has the greatest level and that corresponding to 90º has the lower level. The curve corresponding to
90º presents the greatest deformation before cracking. In the case of sheet having the thicknesses
equal to 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm it can be seen that the material presents a linear hardening and the
necking is not so emphasized.
The thickness of sheet has an important influence concerning the level of the stress-strain curve.
Thus, for the sheet thickness having 0.1 mm the curve level is greater than in the case of sheet
thickness having 0.2 mm but the total elongation is lower (Fig. 8). Therefore it can be concluded
that the sheet having the thickness of 0.2 mm presents a good deformability by comparing with the
sheet having the thickness of 0.1 mm due to the fact that it requires a smaller forces to perform large
strains. The anisotropy coefficients for both sheet thicknesses have sub unitary values; thus, in the
case of sheet having the thickness equal to 0.2 mm the anisotropy coefficients are greater (nearby
the unitary value) than in the case of sheet having the thickness equal to 0.1 mm (Fig. 9 and Table 2)
350

300 1
Flow stress [MPa]

0,9
Anisotrpy coefficients

250 0,8
0,7
200
0,6
150 0,5
0,4
100 0,3
50 0,2
0,1
0 0
0 0,04 0,08 0,12 0,16 0,2 0,24 0,28 0,32 0,36 0 45 90
Logarithmic strain Rolling direction [degree]
Thickness equal to 0.1 mm Thickness equal to 0.2 mm Thickness equal to 0.1 mm Thickness equal to 0.2 mm

Fig. 8. Real stress strain curves Fig. 9. Variation of anisotropy coefficients

(loading direction equal to 0º from rolling direction) for each thickness of sheet
Table 2. Mechanical properties of CuZn37 thin sheet metal
Thickness Yield stress Total elongation Anisotropy coefficients
Tensile strength [MPa]
[mm] [MPa] [%]
r0 r45 r90
0.1 34.00 200.42 18.12 0.5 0.748 0.8
0.2 30.44 307.91 35.75 0.725 0.848 0.888

0,4
The formability properties of the CuZn37 thin
0,35
sheet metal were determined for both mentioned 0,3
Major strain

values of thickness (0.1 mm and 0.2 mm) and 0,25

are presented under the form of the FLC 0,2

0,15
curves in Fig. 10.
0,1
By analysing the material formability it can be 0,05
observed that the level of the forming limit curve 0
-0,16 -0,08 0 0,08 0,16
corresponding to sheet having the thickness
Minor strain
equal to 0.2 mm are greater than the level of the Thickness equal to 0.1 mm Thickness equal to 0.2 mm
forming limit curve of the sheet having the Fig. 10. Forming limit curve for CuZn37
thickness equal to 0.1 mm. Hence we can thin sheet metal
conclude that the sheet having the thickness
equal 0.2 mm have a good deformability by comparing to sheet having the thickness equal to 0.1
mm.
 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 371 167

Conclusions
The influence of sheet thickness value on the mechanical and formability properties of the
CuZn37 alloy was investigated in the present study. The mechanical properties were determined by
using the tensile test combined with the image correlation method in order to determine the strains
in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the sample. The material formability properties were
determined by using the mini Marciniak method and the image correlation method. The obtained
results shown that the decrease of the sheet thickness value has an important effect on the material
behavior. The decrease of thickness value leads to the decrease of material formability and to the
increase of the level of stress strain curve. The material anisotropy has sub unitary values in the case
of both thickness and is greater (nearby unitary value) for the sheets having the thickness equal to
0.2 mm.

Acknowledgement
The present research was performed with the financial support from the Romanian Ministry of
Education and Research – UEFIS-CDI, project 198/2011

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Innovative Manufacturing Engineering
10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.371

Influence of the Thickness Value on the Mechanical and Formability Properties of the CuZn37 Thin
Sheet Metal
10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.371.163

DOI References
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Mater. Form. 2 (2009) 625–628.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12289-009-0563-0
[3] H. Justinger, G. Hirt, Estimation of grain size and grain orientation influence in microforming processes
by Taylor factor considerations, Journal of Materials Processing Technology. 209 (2009) 2111–2121.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2008.05.008
[4] W.L. Chan, M.W. Fu, J. Lu, J. G. Liu, Modelling of grain size effect on micro deformation behaviour in
micro-forming of pure copper, Mat. Sci. Eng.A. 527 (2010) 6638-6648.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2010.07.009
[5] U Engel, R Eckstein, microforming- from basic research to its realization, J. Mat. Proc. Techn. 125-126
(2002) 35-44.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0924-0136(02)00415-6
[6] Z. Hu, F. Vollertsen, Modelling of friction with respect to size effects, Int J Mater Form. 1 (2008) 1231
–1234.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12289-008-0164-3
[7] F. Gong, B. Guo, C. J. Wang, D. B. Shan, Effects of lubrication conditions on micro deep drawing,
Microsyst. Technol. 16 (2010) 1741–1747.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00542-010-1108-7
[8] K. F. Zhang, L. Kun, Classification of size effects and similarity evaluating method in micro forming, J.
Mat. Proc. Techn. 209 (2009) 4949–4953.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2008.11.018
[9] Zhenyu Hu, Realisation and application of size dependent FEM-simulation for deep drawing of
rectangular work pieces, CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology. 4 (2011) 90–95.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cirpj.2011.05.006