Feasibility of electrically assisted progressive forging of aluminum 6061-T6 alloy

The feasibility of electrically assisted (EA) progressive forging is experimentally investigated by applying an electric current with a short duration to a specimen after each progressive compressive displacement. EA-continuous forging with a pulsed electric current during continuous deformation is also investigated. Experimental results show that the improvement in formability with reduced compressive load is more pronounced in EA-progressive forging with a lower specimen temperature during deformation. Microstructural observations suggest that electrically induced annealing occurred. The present study proves the effectiveness of EA-forging, while confirming that electroplasticity is a phenomenon distinct from Joule heating.