Influence of Asymmetric Plastic Flow and Tribological Conditions on Residual Stress and Dimensional Stability in Cold-Drawn AA3003-F Tubes

8 pages•Published: August 6, 2026

Norasak Sikkha, Numpon Mahayotsanun, Peerawatt Nunthavarawong, Pongsak Tuengsook and Sedthawatt Sucharitpwatskul

Abstract

Dimensional stability and interfacial friction remain critical challenges in precision aluminum tube manufacturing. This research investigates the influence of asymmetric plastic flow and tribological conditions on cold-drawn AA3003-F tubes through a systematic experimental investigation (N=30). Preliminary physical trials revealed that unlubricated drawing causes immediate tensile fracture at the tube head due to extreme interfacial friction, whereas the drawing process is successfully stabilized under a steady-state boundary lubricant (μ=0.099). During drawing, an initial eccentricity (2.34%–7.89%) acts as a catalyst, triggering a three-dimensional tilt of the cantilevered mandrel head under asymmetric drawing loads. This induces a highly unbalanced macro-residual stress distribution (ranging from -6 to -45 MPa as quantified via X-ray diffraction), where compressive residual stresses systematically concentrate in the thicker wall sectors. Mechanistically, this circumferential disparity drives inhomogeneous elastic recovery, generating an internal residual bending moment (M_RS) that severely deteriorates the longitudinal straightness from 1.080±0.669 mm/m to 2.973±0.942 mm/m. Concurrently, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) increased from 140.26 ± 1.55 MPa to 151.11 ± 1.70 MPa, while ductility dropped severely, with elongation plummeting from 22.00% to 9.13% as the material reached its plastic instability limit. Crucially, the circumferential uniformity of Vickers hardness (44–45 HV) and stabilized X-ray line profile Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM of 1.76–1.83 deg) confirm that the bowing defect is a macroscopic structural phenomenon arising from tool-workpiece mechanics rather than localized material defects. These findings emphasize the critical need for stringent initial geometry control, alongside the use of fully-constrained tooling systems and optimized lubrication, to ensure the longitudinal accuracy of the final component.

Keyphrases: aa3003 f aluminum, asymmetric plastic flow, boundary lubrication, cold tube drawing, dimensional stability, residual stress

In: Numpon Mahayotsanun (editor). Proceedings of The 11th International Conference on Tribology in Manufacturing Processes & Advanced Surface Engineering, vol 4, pages 130-137.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/LB3q
	https://doi.org/10.29007/7fwn

BibTeX entry

@inproceedings{ICTMP2026:Influence_Asymmetric_Plastic_Flow,
  author    = {Norasak Sikkha and Numpon Mahayotsanun and Peerawatt Nunthavarawong and Pongsak Tuengsook and Sedthawatt Sucharitpwatskul},
  title     = {Influence of Asymmetric Plastic Flow and Tribological Conditions on Residual Stress and Dimensional Stability in Cold-Drawn AA3003-F Tubes},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of The 11th International Conference on Tribology in Manufacturing Processes & Advanced Surface Engineering},
  editor    = {Numpon Mahayotsanun},
  series    = {EPiC Series in Technology},
  volume    = {4},
  publisher = {EasyChair},
  bibsource = {EasyChair, https://easychair.org},
  issn      = {2516-2322},
  url       = {/publications/paper/LB3q},
  doi       = {10.29007/7fwn},
  pages     = {130-137},
  year      = {2026}}

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