Influence of material microstructure, geometry and surface on the damage behaviour of copper inductors for electromagnetic forming

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Thomas Lampke; Dr.-Ing. Verena Psyk
• Subject Area: Metallurgical, Thermal and Thermomechanical Treatment of Materials ; Mechanical Properties of Metallic Materials and their Microstructural Origins ; Primary Shaping and Reshaping Technology, Additive Manufacturing
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 565494670

Electromagnetic forming (EMF) uses the energy density of pulsed magnetic fields for the contactless application of force and high-speed forming of electrically conductive workpieces. The process-related high strain rates lead to an increased forming capacity for many materials, which enables shaping of complex geometric details. Other technological advantages of EMF over conventional processes include the ability to integrate cutting or joining operations into the process, reduced springback, short process times and high productivity. All in all, the technology offers great potential for industrial applications in various sectors. Due to the combination of high mechanical strength and high electrical conductivity, copper alloys, such as CuCrZr, are primarily used as inductor materials in the EMU process today. However, the resource-efficient and economical design of the forming process is currently limited by the considerably fluctuating service life of the inductor. Despite numerous studies on electromagnetic forming, the mechanisms that sometimes lead to damage to the inductor after just a few discharges are still not clearly understood. An understanding of the underlying process-structure-property relationships is necessary in order to design the inductor optimally for the process and to enable the stability of the application properties for a long service life. Within the scope of the project, the interactions between the material microstructure of the inductor, which directly influences the mechanical and electrical properties, its geometry and surface condition as well as between the process parameters and the associated electro-thermo-mechanical stress on the inductor are to be investigated in order to gain a fundamental understanding of the damage processes and mechanisms occurring during EMF. The qualitative and quantitative evaluation of these influencing factors allows conclusions to be drawn for the prospective increase in the service life of the inductors in order to ensure the resource-efficient and economical design of the forming process.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Dr.-Ing. Lisa Winter