Variation of the friction conditions in cold ring compression tests of aluminum 1100-O and aluminum 6061-T6 as applied to room temperature forging in low- and middle-income countries

In metal-forming processes, the coefficient of friction between the workpiece and die materials has a significant effect on the required forming energy. Small- and medium-sized manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries, such as Bangladesh, must select appropriate lubricants for their manufacturing operations to reduce wear and energy consumption and increase productivity. To support this need, this study generated friction coefficients for manufacturers who forge aluminum products with steel dies. Ring compression tests were performed on aluminum 1100-O and aluminum 6061-T6 workpieces against A2 tool steel dies at room temperature. The experimental results were correlated with finite element analysis-generated calibration charts to determine the friction coefficient for each material. The coefficients of friction were evaluated for nine different lubricants, the majority of which were petroleum based, and for clean, dry control samples. Values ranged from 0.03 to 0.07 for (Al 1100-0) to 0.12 to 0.16 for Al 6061-T6) for the lubricated samples, and 0.34 (Al 1100-O) and 0.4 (Al 6061-T6) for clean, dry samples. The results showed that a graphite-based lubricant and a polytetrafluoroethylene-based lubricant performed best across both metals.