New small-scale hydromechanical deep-drawing process using die-integrated active high-pressure generation system

In this study, hydraulic pressure generation and small-scale cylindrical hydromechanical deep-drawing experiments were conducted using a novel die-integrated active high-pressure generation system. The most significant feature is the installation of a hydraulic pressure-generating piston structure inside the die, which enables a high-pressure generation process of 100 MPa or higher inside the die. In addition, by taking advantage of the size effect of a smaller die, a high hydraulic pressure is actively generated using the same equipment as in conventional drawing processes. It was discovered that a piston installed in the die can actively generate a hydraulic pressure of 100 MPa or higher based on the Pascal principle. By downsizing the die, a hydraulic pressure of 100 MPa or higher can be generated using only the power of a small press machine (50 kN). By actively applying high hydraulic pressure counter and radial pressures, small-scale drawability can be significantly improved. Furthermore, the application of the proposed system to single-action presses and progressive dies can enable hydromechanical deep drawing with optimized conditions for each process in a single motion.