Effect of Friction Coefficient on Deep Drawing of 6A16 Aluminum Alloy for Automobile Body

Based on the ABAQUS / Explicit finite element method, the forming force changing trend of deep drawing test for 6A16 aluminum alloy plate after pre-aging and storage at room temperature for one month was simulated under friction coefficient ranging from 0 to 0.22. The lubricants selected for the tests were mechanical oil, butter and dry film lubricant, and the friction coefficient of these lubricants were 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15, respectively. Microstructural evolution of 6A16 aluminum alloy plate during drawing forming was investigated by OM, SEM and EBSD. The results showed that, with the increase of friction coefficient, the stress, strain and deformation degree in deformation zone increased, while the grain size in deformation zone decreased. Thus, the hardness of the cup-typed component increased with the increase of friction coefficient. Butter-lubricated cups had the highest tensile strength and yield strength after paint-bake cycle. The combination of simulation results and microstructure analysis of 6A16 aluminum alloy plate after drawing forming indicates that the appropriate lubricant is butter.