Page 24 - MetalForming-Jun-2018-issue

Lubrication
Advice
for Forming Aluminum
Selecting the right lubricant for aluminum stamping will
help ensure maximum performance in the press, as well as compatibility with the aluminum alloy at hand, and ease post-processing work such as welding. New to the market, VOC-free disappearing compounds and chlorine-free technology produce parts that can move directly to assembly or packaging without cleaning.
BY CHRISTOPHER FLETCHER
Aluminum use in metalforming applications continues to rise, and not just by automotive- parts makers. Other industries also eye the advantages in utilizing aluminum alloys. Metalformers dealing with this evolution must pay attention to numer- ous process stages, including tool design and build, and the lubrication strategy applied in the pressroom. Selecting the right lubricant for alu- minum stamping will help ensure max- imum performance in the press, as well as compatibility with the aluminum alloy at hand, and ease post-processing work such as welding. Accompany those lubricant selection criteria with
Christopher Fletcher is a product spe- cialist with Tower Metalworking Fluids, Chicago, IL: 773/927-6161; www.tow- ermwf.com.
best-in-class health, safety, and envi- ronmental impact and you’ve got a big chip in the game of stamping or draw- ing aluminum.
Lubricant Composition
For many years, straight oils, min- eral-based soluble oils or emulsions, and dry-film lubricants ruled the alu- minum-stamping market with respect to performance. They have been the standard when trying to prevent fric- tion between the aluminum workpiece and the tool steel. Straight oils, while great performers, fall behind the others when it comes to cost and secondary- process compatibility. Dry films, mean- while, require special application meth- ods, can build-up on die components and sometimes can prove difficult to remove.
Therefore, soluble oils/emulsions
Aluminum heatshields not only protect against heat, they also reduce vehicle noise emissions. In this photo from Autoneum, we see a perfect application where selecting the right lubricant for stamping the aluminum will help ensure maximum performance in the press, as well as compatibility with the aluminum alloy at hand, and ease post-processing work such as welding.
22 MetalForming/June 2018
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