Research on formability of 5052 aluminum alloy sheet in a quasi-static–dynamic tensile process

In order to establish the efficacy of electromagnetically assisted sheet metal stamping (EMAS), the formability of 5052 aluminum alloy sheet in a quasi-static–dynamic tensile process is experimentally investigated using a combined quasi-static tension and the pulsed electromagnetic forming (EMF) method. Data on the formability of aluminum alloy 5052-O employing this combined loading method is compared with data for traditional quasi-static tensile tests. Results show that the formability of aluminum alloy sheet undergoing a quasi-static–dynamic tensile process is dramatically increased beyond that exhibited in quasi-static tensile tests, and a little higher than or at least similar with that obtained in the fully dynamic EMF process. The forming limits of aluminum samples with both low and high pre-strain levels are almost similar in quasi-static–dynamic tensile process, which makes it possible stretching the sheet to a higher quasi-static pre-strain level without weakening its total quasi-static–dynamic formability. This would enable the use of a quasi-static pre-form fairly close to the quasi-static material limits for design of an EMAS process in manufacturing large aluminum alloy shell parts.