Abstract
In push-back blanking, burr-free products are produced by compressing a half-blanked sheet between platens, where success conditions are affected by the ductility of materials. In this study, the mechanism of success and the cut edge quality in the push-back blanking process using a ductile and a brittle steel sheet were discussed. Experiments were carried out, varying the punch penetration and clearance in the half-blanking step. Brittle steel showed a wider successful range and less shear droop on the cut edge than ductile steel. Corresponding simulations were conducted and the damage value based on a ductile fracture criterion was calculated around the shear zone. Negative clearance was effective in keeping the damage value low and allowed deep punch penetration without fracturing in the half-blanking step. In the following push-back step, a rapid increase in the damage was observed when the high mean stress zone prevailed over the half-blanked portion. The timing of increase in damage was earlier for brittle steel owing to the localization of deformation, resulting in a wider successful range than that of ductile steel.
