Adaptive Severe Plastic Deformation: Principle and Application to High Pressure Sliding

We propose a new principle of adaptive Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) processes, in which contact pressure stems from the reaction of the tool, rather than a force exerted on the workpiece externally. The reaction owes to special tool design utilizing a wedge effect. This approach ensures self-regulation of the deformation mode without the need for complex bidirectional loading systems. In addition, the equipment for adaptive processing can operate at loads which are substantially lower than those required for conventional SPD processing. Adaptability is analyzed by way of example for the High Pressure Sliding (HPS) process, for which theoretical justification, numerical calculations by the finite element method, and experimental verification are provided. It was established that, thanks to the self-regulation mechanism, the pressure is maintained automatically at the level necessary for plastic deformation of the workpiece. Experiments on copper samples showed the formation of an ultra-fine-grained structure. The results obtained demonstrate the efficacy of the adaptive HPS and open prospects for its application in the processing of thin-walled metal products.