Numerical study of shrink ring and die interference
Prestressing technique is used to decrease the tensile stresses that develop in a metal forming die (powder compaction, extrusion, stamping, etc.). In order to increase die life and to protect the shrink ring, the interference value between the two parts must be optimized.
The iterative variation of the design parameters (interference, diameters, material properties) using numerical simulation leads to a reduction of time and resources invested. This process can be automated in order to obtain an optimal design.
The tendency is usually the following: a higher interference leads to lower tensile stresses in the die during compaction, but to a higher stress in the shrink ring. Consequently, the optimized interference should be find to take advantage of the pre-stress tensional state of the die, without damaging the shrink ring. The failure of the shrink ring would reduce the fatigue resistance of the die.
The maximum principal stress for interference values of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15 mm are shown on this image (section in the middle of the compacted part):
