Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming TechnologyMass savings in lightweight materials? It’s possible!
Thin sheet metal materials are generally defined as cold rolled sheet metal of soft, unalloyed steel with sheet thicknesses up to 0.49 mm. These materials are mainly applied in the packaging industry, which places particular requirements on their surface quality (suitable for printing, suitable for food packaging). Furthermore, as little mass as possible shall be utilized while maintaining or increasing functionality (axial load, compressive stress). In order to meet these demands, optimized geometrical designs can be used as well as super high strength materials and novel process technologies. For this purpose Fraunhofer IWU analyzes and optimizes feasibility and process capability by applying the finite element method (FEM).