High-velocity coining of microstructures in high-grade steel
Abstract
Insufficient process knowledge for micro forming as well as limitations to the availability of adequate tools led to the presented studies. Microstructures are coined into workpieces of the steel 1.4301 with high tool velocities. Aim of the project is thereby the improvement of processing high-grade steel for applications like micro reactors or heat changers. By considering the micro milling and the EDM die sinking process for the preparation of forming tools, the entire process chain is taken into account. The investigated structures are fields of struts within an area of 10x10 mm² with a strut height of 0.4 mm and different aspect ratios. To manufacture the electrodes for micro EDM the structures were cut into workpieces of graphite and tung-sten-copper by micro milling. With these elect rodes it was possible to process hardened steel to obtain coining tools for coining the steel 1.4301. After each step of the process chain the generated structures were analyzed with the optical sur-face measurement system ALICONA infinite focus. There-with the typical deviations from the target geometry could be quantified.
