SFB 747:  Micro Cold Forming - Processes, Characterisation, Optimisation

• Subject Area: Materials Science and Engineering ; Computer Science, Systems and Electrical Engineering ; Mechanical and Industrial Engineering ; Mathematics
• Term: from 2007 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 26068470

Up to now the development of the individual production processes, the production of the semi-finished products and the forming tools for metallic micro components happen separately. This leads to high development and production starting costs per component, with the effect that forming technology for the production of micro components is not as popular as it could be. By scaling down from macro size to micro size, size effects occur, which prevent a conventional design of the forming process. The influence of these size effects on the process is not understood well in the moment, which means that there is a considerable need for further research.
Main aim of the Collaborative Research Centre is the scientific understanding of the basic principles of the methods and processes for a systematic design of forming processes in industrial production of metallic micro components. The questions concerning micro forming are examined in the overall context of the material behaviour, the influence on the process and resulting component behaviour. These considerations create possibilities to establish new technologies for industrial production. The basic processes need to be easy to handle and flexible to use in order to support modular production.
The main focus of the Collaborative Research Centre is on metallic components, which are produced at high production frequencies and in big numbers. According to the definition of micro forming, the dimensions of the relevant components are smaller than 1 millimetre in at least two dimensions.
For gaining the aims the planning of the modular processes, the definition of the interfaces and the strategies for supervision are of main relevance. Among the production processes there is a high relevance for measuring and testing technology, because the tolerances at micro forming are very small. In order to minimise the investment of testing an integrated quality control in the production process with the potential for selective error analysis is planned to be developed. The characterisation of the material and component behaviour is an essential feature for an overall consideration of the production steps. Further focus on the basic analyses will be production planning and production layout.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• International Connection: Austria

Completed projects

• A01 - Production of thin metal foils by physical vapor deposition (Project Heads Mehner, Andreas ;  Stock, Heinz-Rolf ;  Zoch, Hans-Werner )
• A02 - Heat treatment of micro semi finished products and micro cold formed components (Project Head Zoch, Hans-Werner )
• A03 - Generation of functional parts of a component by laser-based free form heading (Project Heads Schmidt, Alfred ;  Vollertsen, Frank )
• A04 - Rotary swaging of micro components and compound components (Project Head Kuhfuß, Bernd )
• A05 - Controlled and scalable laser removal method for manufacturing contoured micro forming tools (Project Heads Goch, Gert ;  Vollertsen, Frank )
• A06 - Thermo-chemical-mechanical shape generating of diamond for micro forming tools (Project Head Brinksmeier, Ekkard )
• B01 - Forming limit and springback behaviour in micro sheet metal forming (Project Head Vollertsen, Frank )
• B02 - Methods for the direct incorporation of the statistical distribution of material properties into FEM-simulation of micro forming processes (Project Heads Brannath, Werner ;  Hunkel, Martin ;  Schmidt, Alfred )
• B03 - Increasing life time of micro deep drawing tools (Project Heads Bergmann, Ralf Bernhard ;  von Kopylow, Christoph ;  Vollertsen, Frank )
• B04 - Mechanical properties of micro semi-finished products and components (Project Heads Bomas, Hubert ;  Clausen, Brigitte ;  Zoch, Hans-Werner )
• B05 - Quality inspection and logistic quality assurance of micro technical manufacturing processes (Project Heads Bergmann, Ralf Bernhard ;  Goch, Gert ;  von Kopylow, Christoph ;  Lütjen, Michael ;  Scholz-Reiter, Bernd )
• B07 - Influence of tool geometry on the process stability in micro forming (Project Head Vollertsen, Frank )
• C01 - Generative manufacturing of costumized tool materials for micro cold forming (Project Heads Habedank, Gabriele ;  Partes, Knut )
• C02 - Flexible Manufacture of Tribologically Optimized Micro Forming Tools (Project Heads Maaß, Peter ;  Riemer, Oltmann )
• C04 - A simultaneous engineering method for the development of process chains in micro manufacturing (Project Heads Lütjen, Michael ;  Scholz-Reiter, Bernd )
• C05 - Linked parts for micro-cold-forming process chains (Project Heads Kuhfuß, Bernd ;  Tracht, Kirsten )
• C06 - Adaption of graded tool materials for micro cold forming by spray forming (Project Head Schulz, Alwin )
• T02 - Process combination micro rotary swaging/ micro impact extrusion (Project Head Kuhfuß, Bernd )
• T03 - Development of an imaging system for the investigation of functional surfaces within the cavity of a micro component (Project Heads Bergmann, Ralf Bernhard ;  Lütjen, Michael )
• T04 - Predictive compensation actions for the avoidance of shape deviation of micro milled dental products (Project Heads Maaß, Peter ;  Riemer, Oltmann )
• T05 - Process chains based on thermo-electrochemical reactions for production of metallic micro components (Project Head Vollertsen, Frank )
• Z01 - Central Tasks (Project Head Vollertsen, Frank )
• Z02 - Betrieb des virtuellen Maschinenpools (Project Heads Brinksmeier, Ekkard ;  Vollertsen, Frank )
• ÖA - Optimal cold forming of smallest parts with system (Project Head Vollertsen, Frank )

• Applicant Institution: Universität Bremen
• Participating Institution: BIAS - Bremer Institut für Angewandte Strahltechnik GmbH; BIBA - Bremer Institut für Produktion und Logistik GmbH ; an der Universität Bremen; Leibniz-Institut für Werkstofforientierte Technologien IWT
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Vollertsen