A sheet-metal testing machine from Zwick enables car manufacturer Audi, based in Ingolstadt, to test high-strength automotive materials.
The metallic materials used for shaped parts in automotive engineering are becoming stronger all the time.
Higher-strength materials require higher testing forces - in other words, higher deep-drawing forces during forming.
In order to do justice to these test requirements, Audi uses a BUP1000 sheet-metal testing machine for deep-drawing forces up to 1,000kN.
The BUP1000 contributes to the determination of the necessary material characteristics and to quality assurance before further sheet-metal processing.
Together with the corresponding tools and accessories, the machine also serves to determine the forming limit curves (FLCs) according to ISO 12004.
The current version of this standard calls for a cupping-die diameter of 100mm, and this also requires a higher force range of up to 1,000kN in this test on higher-strength materials.
Further standard tests are possible simply by changing the tools: cupping tests according to Erichsen (DIN EN ISO 20482), earing tests (DIN EN 1669), square earing tests, hole expansion tests and bulge tests.
The BUP 1000's control technology permits the forming test to be controlled via force and die travel measurement.
This not only allows standard tests to be performed correctly but also enables forming processes to be simulated on a small scale.
The maximum die travel and the speed range of the cupping die cover a variety of applications.
The function display with remote-control option and the hydraulic operation of the tool head for specimen loading and unloading are intended to simplify handling in daily use.
In order to study the forming process in detail, the deep-drawing force, the holding force and the cupping-die travel can be read out via the Testcontrol electronics and processed further and analysed using the Testxpert standard testing software from Zwick.
