Work hardening
Work hardening refers to the increase in the strength of a material through plastic deformation. During cold forming, dislocations form in the material’s microstructure, which impede each other’s movement. This increases the strength of the material.
In cold forming, this effect can be specifically utilised to influence the strength of the material and thus the mechanical properties of the component, without necessarily requiring subsequent heat treatment.
Work hardening during cold forming
During cold forming, the material undergoes plastic deformation. This deformation increases the material’s strength. Work hardening can therefore be specifically utilised to improve a component’s load-bearing capacity.
This effect is particularly relevant for cold forming because the component geometry and the increase in strength can be achieved in a single manufacturing process. This distinguishes cold forming from machining processes, in which shaping is achieved by material removal and no comparable work hardening of the entire formed component area takes place.
As work hardening increases, the plastic deformability of the material generally decreases at the same time. Therefore, the choice of material and process design must be aligned with the intended degree of forming.
Work hardening: Questions and answers
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What is work hardening?
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How does work hardening occur?
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What are the advantages of work hardening?
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What is the significance of work hardening for cold forming?
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How does work hardening affect further formability?