Impact of RCS- Cross Root Process and die design in Commercial Brass Alloy Sheets

Commercial Brass Alloy Sheet are subjected to intense plastic deformation using RCS method to improvise its metallurgical / Mechanical properties. The impact of Repeated Corrugation and Straightening Process for a number of cycles using two different type of dies on hardness, homogeneity and grain structure in commercial Brass Alloy Sheet at room temperature is evaluated experimentally. Two types of V-grove corrugation dies (flat groove corrugated, and semi-circular grooved corrugated ) and flattening dies were used in this work with a pressing velocity of 1mm/min. The modus operandi involves repeated and controlled corrugation followed by straightening for a number of cycles. In the process the brass sheets are made to undergo intense plastic deformation by repeated shearing using first flat groove corrugated dies followed by flattening of sheets using flat dies and in the second setup, semi-circular groove corrugated dies are used, followed by flattening of sheets using flat dies. In the samples processed using flat groove corrugated dies, the BHN increases from 95.47 to 234.34 upto 4th cycles and then decreased to 218.63 in the 5th cycle experimentally. In the samples processed using semi-circular groove corrugated dies, the BHN increases from 95.47 to 202.02 upto 4th cycle and then decreases to 194 for 5th cycle experimentally. The results of simulation studies done using the simulation software (AFDEX) are in consonance with the experimental results. Simulation analysis done to study the behavior of commercial Brass Alloy Sheet subjected to plastic deformation using Semi-circular groove corrugated dies shows that the effective strain has increased from 0.6442 for the 1st cycle to 2.94 at the end of 5th cycle, and for the flat grooved corrugated dies the effective strain increases from 1.17 for the 1st cycle to 6.21 at the end of 5th cycle. This RCS process can be used for bulk production of sheets with high hardness, fine grain structure and smoother surface.