The Effect of Temperature Rise in a Fine Blanking Tool

This study was performed to investigate the influence of the tool temperature rise in a fine blanking process. It is known that most of the plastic deformation energy changes into heat and the heat raises tool temperature increasingly in the continual fine blanking process. Real-time measurement of the temperature distribution on the tool surfaces was carried out using a thermal infrared camera. Finite element analysis for the fine blanking process considering the heat transfer and thermal expansion was also performed, and the result was compared with the experimental data. It is found that the tool temperature rises rapidly within one minute (20 to 30 strokes) from the beginning of the continual process and thereafter increases very slowly. It is thought that the increase of tool temperature affects the decrease tendency of fracture zone in blanked workpiece. The phenomena could be properly predicted using finite element method and it is expected that effective information for the design and manufacture of die in a fine blanking process could be given through finite element analysis.