Numerical investigation on forming processes for the production of micro textured tappets

The friction metal on metal between cam and tappet inside an internal combustion engine can only be only improved through increased lubrication and therefore implementing some sort of texturization on the top of the tappet. This lead to the deeper investigation of Sheet-Bulk metal forming and Bulk metal forming processes as fitting technologies in order to achieve microtexturization on the metal surface. These processes are able to bind the creation of functional part with the printing of textures, creating a really time efficient and thus cost-effective manufacture. However, the metal flow in these applications must be closely controlled in order to obtain tight tolerance and therefore consistency in the result. In fact, even a slight variation in microtexture profile makes the stamping useless and unfit for the application. In order to meet the aim of this research, after a first evaluation of the testing process, the investigation is based on production simulation and consequentially a tensions distribution, metal flow and shape comparison in order to identify the main factors that influence the production and their interaction with the result.