Forming of Profiled Strip from Porous Metal by Rolling

Forming of profiled strips, which are narrow thin sheets having thickness steps across the width, needs special techniques due to the difference in elongation between thick and thin parts. In this study, a new production technique using a porous metal is proposed. Lotus-type porous copper sheets, 3mm thick 30mm wide, were formed into T-shaped strips by one-pass, grooved rolling. It is found that the elongation of the porous strips is limited due to pore closure, and that the porous strips have fewer shape defects such as curling and undesirable thickness reduction. It is concluded that the use of porous metals is very useful for efficient production of profiled strips.