Electrically assisted blanking using the electroplasticity of ultra-high strength metal alloys

The electroplastic tensile behavior of ultra-high strength steels (UHSS) subject to a single pulse of electric current is briefly introduced, and electrically-assisted (EA) blanking, which utilizes this electroplastic characteristic, is suggested. The experimental result shows that the blanking load of EA blanking is clearly lower than that of blanking with local resistance heating, which is lower than that of cold blanking. No significant change in material properties was observed in the EA blanked parts at the electric energy densities selected in the present study. EA blanking or trimming is expected to minimize or even eliminate the need for expensive and time-consuming laser trimming in the manufacture of automotive parts using UHSS.