Milli-component forming of rectangular cup drawing

Abstract Milli-structure components are classified as a component group for which the size is between macro- and micro-scales, i.e., less than about 20 mm and larger than 1 mm. The forming of these components has the typical phenomenon of bulk deformation with thin sheets because of the forming size. In this study, milli-structure rectangular cup drawing is analyzed and designed using the finite element method and experiment. Usually milli-structure containers or cases such as those of cellular phone vibrators and battery cases consist of rectangular-shaped drawings to save installation space. A systematic approach is established for the design of the forming processes for rectangular milli-structure cases. For the consideration of bulk forming effects, 8-node brick elements are used in the analysis and design of the milli-structure forming process. Also spring-back and cracking during forming will be discussed. The result of the finite element analysis is confirmed by that from a series of experiments.