Analysis of cold densification rolling of a sintered porous metal strip

Cold densification rolling of a sintered porous metal strip has been analyzed by the upper-bound technique coupled with the plasticity theory of porous metals. The analysis considers plane-strain deformation and incorporates work-hardening effects during cold rolling. A stream function form which produces a kinematically admissible velocity field has been assumed in the upper-bound analysis. The total power for rolling, which is the sum of the internal power for plastic deformation, frictional power and shear discontinuity losses along the surface of velocity discontinuity, has been minimized to find the velocity and density distributions. The calculated results for density and strains have been verified experimentally for the multi-pass rolling of a sintered porous copper strip.