2012 Volume 6 Issue 6 Pages 565-573
Machine components of industrial products are often produced by press cutting. However, the mechanism of cutting (ductile fracture of metals) is not perfectly understood. In order to clarify this mechanism, cutting processes were observed by an ultrahigh-speed camera. The ultrahigh-speed camera is capable of recording maximum record rate 1,000,000 frames per second (preserved images102 frames); each frame has 80,000 pixels. Therefore, this ultrahigh-speed camera is currently the world's most advanced camera in terms of spatial and time resolutions. A detailed movie of the cutting process was recorded. The details of the cutting process include the crack length versus time, crack tip opening angle, and fracture path. The crack tip opening angles were evaluated approximately 0.1 mm behind the tip of the propagating crack. The CTOA criterion was found to be almost valid during the cutting process. Furthermore, in order to use the image correlation method, random patterns were generated by spraying paint onto the metal sections. Images of a specimen section were taken after punching the sheet metal. The distributions of displacements were evaluated by the digital image correlation method. We found smoothly cut sections and rough surfaces. A smoothly cut section is very important for industrial products. In this study, the optimal speed of punching and punch-die clearances were examined. The ductile fracture criterion determined in this study is extremely useful for fabricating machine components by press cutting because it can be used for simulations without the need for a cutting system. The data of the image correlation method can be used for an intelligent hybrid method that can provide very accurate strain and stress distributions and fracture parameters such as the T* integral, which is the most promising fracture parameter for assessing the quality of metallic materials.
