Investigating the effect of flexible forming process variables on the uniformity of thickness distribution in U-Shaped Micro-channels

In this research, the effect of rubber layer characteristics such as hardness and thickness of the rubber layer on the thinning of metallic bipolar plate channels at a constant depth was investigated experimentally and through simulation. The accuracy of the simulation results was evaluated using experimental data. For the experimental stages, a die with parallel grooves and a 60-ton press were used to apply force to the forming die. According to the results obtained, reducing the hardness of the rubber layer will lead to a more uniform thickness distribution at the same depth. The minimum thickness of the formed sample using a Shore A 55 rubber layer was 0.703 mm, which represents a 1.3% improvement in thinning compared to Shore A 90 hardness. Furthermore, increasing the thickness of the rubber layer improves the shaping process, and based on the results at the same depth, a thicker rubber layer will result in the formation of microchannels with a more uniform thickness distribution in critical areas.