Study on process parameters and its analytic application for nonaxisymmetric rectangular cup of multistage deep drawing process using low carbon thin steel sheet

Multistage deep drawing process is widely used to obtain various nonaxisymmetric rectangular cups. This deep drawing scheme including drawing and ironing processes consists of several tool sets to carry out a continuous production within one progressive press. To achieve the successive production, design and fabrication of the necessary tools such as punch, die, and other auxiliary devices are critical, therefore, a series of process parameters play an important role in performing the process design. This study focuses on the tool design and modification for developing the rectangular cup with an aspect ratio of 5.7, using cold-rolled low carbon thin steel sheet with the initial thickness of 0.4 mm. Based on the design results for the process and the tools, finite element analysis for the multistage deep drawing process is performed with thickness control of the side wall in intermediate blanks as the first approach. From the results of the first approach, it is shown that the intermediate blanks could experience failures such as tearing, wrinkling, and earing by excessive thinning and thickening. To solve these failures, the modifications for the deep drawing punches are carried out, and the modified punches are applied to the same process. The simulation results for the multistage rectangular deep drawing process are compared with the thickness distributions before and after the punch shape modifications, and with the deformed shape in each intermediate blank, respectively. The results of finite element reanalysis using the modified punches show significant improvement compared with those by using the original designed punch shapes.     

The effect of a multistep deep-drawing process with circular and rectangular shapes on the deformation of AZ31 magnesium sheets

This study has mostly focused on the forming limit, microstructural change, and anisotropy that arise from rectangular and circular deep drawing of magnesium sheets. Moreover, this study predicts the change in the material thickness and the forming depth at the first forming process that produces the rectangular cup by the deep drawing of the rectangular blank. Further, by using the rectangular cup that is formed by the first forming process, when the circular and square cups in the rectangular cup are simultaneously manufactured in the so-called second forming process, the effect of the clearance between the die and punch on the change in the product thickness according to forming depth associated with microstructural analysis is investigated. The forming temperature is optimized to maximize formability. The results obtained in this study are utilized as data for predicting the die clearance and the change in the thickness.     

Experimental and mathematical analysis of simulation results for sheet metal parts in deep drawing

In this paper, deep drawing of conical and cylindrical cups without blank holder is investigated using a conical die design. These cups are produced by pushing circular blanks by pushing the flat head punch in a single stroke. ANSYS APDL 14.0 was then used to investigate the effects of die and punch geometry, half-cone angle, die and punch fillet radius, and drawing load. The thickness distribution of the cup was numerically investigated to determine the optimal process design, and mathematical analysis was adopted to determine the thickness distribution and longitudinal stress calculation. An experimental set-up was designed to validate the simulation results for conical and cylindrical shaped sheet-metal cups. Tensile tests were carried out to obtain the flow of the stress-strain curve for the simulation. The drawing characteristics of materials were investigated by performing Erichsen cupping and Vickers hardness tests. Experiments were conducted on blanks of aluminum alloys and stainless steel with initial thicknesses of 1.5 mm. A cylindrical cup of ss304 with LDR of up to 2.2 and conical cup of AA1100 with LDR of up to 2.7 were successfully achieved. Finite element simulation results showed good agreement with the mathematical and experimental results.     

One-step FEM-based evaluation of weld line movement and development of blank in sheet metal stamping with tailor-welded blanks

Currently, more and more tailor-welded blanks (TWBs) are used in the automobile industry. It is very important to locate the weld line and predict its movement during the forming process. The initial weld line can be predicted by one-step finite-element analysis according to the desired weld line in the final workpiece. Meanwhile, weld line movement during the deformation process can be evaluated in advance. In this paper, the procedures of finite-element analysis of one-step FEM with TWBs are established. The contact between tool and blank and the effect of restraining forces under the blankholder due to drawbead and blankholder pressure are considered as well. Forming limit diagram (FLD) is used to show not only the tendency of reduction in thickness and fracture but also of increase in thickness and wrinkle. Hydraulic controlled pads used to clamp the weld line during the deep drawing process are simplified as static external force to eliminate the movement of the weld line. In order to speed up and ensure the convergence of Newton-Raphson iterations, energy-based 3D mesh mapping algorithm is introduced to obtain the initial solution. The above-mentioned methods have been implemented in the authors’ in-house one-step FEM code InverStamp. A rectangular cup drawing case demonstrates that this approach can be easily implemented to evaluate weld line movement and develop initial blank in sheet metal stamping with tailor-welded blanks.     

On the optimal die curvature in deep drawing processes

The paper presents an attempt to increase the limit drawing ratio of deep drawing processes by searching an optimal die curvature, which minimizes the drawing load. The search done here for an optimal die curvature is based on experimental observations and followed by a detailed upper bound analysis. The analysis takes into account the non-steady character of the process (from a 2D circular plane blank into a 3D axisymmetric cup). The plastic flow along the die curvature is expressed in a toroidal coordinate system which seemingly describes more naturally a smooth velocity field along the real toroidal profile of the die. The outcome provides more closely the relationship between the energy dissipation rate and the die curvature so that a preferred die curvature is obtainable by energy minimization.Circular sheet blanks, made from aluminum and copper, were drawn through dies with different radii of curvature (with at least five repetitions at each radius) to capture the features of the optimal dies whenever exists.The main result is that under certain circumstances an optimal die curvature does exist. It depends largely on the drawing ratio and the blank/die interfacial friction, m, but appears quite insensitive to the initial thickness of the blanks. The optimal die curvature is pronounced in the cases where the frictional resistance is relatively low, otherwise it is indistinctable and remains practically undeterminable by designers.     

An investigation on manufacturing process parameters of CNG pressure vessels

Mass production of CNG pressure vessels requires an accurate understanding of process effective parameters. In this paper, the finite-element method has been used to study the vessel manufacturing parameters. The FE model has been verified by experimental results. The entire manufacturing process, including deep drawing, redrawing and ironing, of an aluminum liner sample of CNG pressure vessels (without spinning) have been simulated. The deep drawing process has been modeled by using three types of dies: flat, conical and tractrix; then drawing force and wall thickness variations have been compared. In order to achieve the final diameter of the liner, the redrawing process has been implemented in a conical die. To obtain a uniform wall thickness, the ironing process has been simulated in two stages, and the required force and die angle for each process have been extracted. The result of this work presents an integrated perspective for decision-making on the manufacturing of CNG liners.     

Increasing the drawing height of conical square cups using anti-lock braking system (ABS)

This paper deals with increasing the drawing height of metal conical square cups with anti-lock braking system (ABS). A novel technique enabling higher drawing height than that achieved in the conventional deep drawing process is introduced, and the principle of the process is explained in this paper. Results of experiments conducted using aluminum alloyed Al-1050 blanks of thickness of 1 mm to draw conical square cups are reported here. Measured drawing load, drawing height and thickness distributions were compared with those obtained from the conventional method. The experimental results showed that higher drawing height of the cup can be achieved by the use of ABS.     

Hydrodynamic lubrication of the ironing process

A theoretical model is presented to calculate the lubricant film thickness in an unsteady hydrodynamic lubrication of cup-shaped products to be formed by the ironing process. The model covers the development of hydrodynamic lubrication in various phases of the ironing process. The model provides equations for estimating the lubricant film thickness for each phase. Experiments were conducted to study the effect of lubricant viscosity on die expansion and punch force in making cup-shaped products by the ironing process. It was found that the die expansion varied between unlubricated and lubricated cups and depended on the lubricant viscosity. The film thickness was estimated from the difference between the increased die/punch clearance, which was calculated from the expansion, and the lubricated cup wall thickness. The theoretical film thickness was compared with the estimated film thickness based on the die expansion measurement.     

The role of die curvature in the performance of deep drawing (hydro-mechanical) processes

A hydromechanical deep drawing process (which replaces the conventional rigid blank-holder tool with a hydrostatic fluid pressure) is utilized to study the roles played by die curvature, interfacial friction, material hardening, etc. in deep drawing performance. The analytical study is based on limit analysis in plasticity (applying both the upper and the lower bounds simultaneously) with a special emphasis on the geometry of the die profile. The resulting relationships between the various parameters obtained through the bounds are backed by an independent numerical solution using Woo's finite difference scheme. The associated experiments, with which the limit analysis is compared, were conducted with aluminium blanks at various die radii and with various holding fluid pressures.The relatively close proximity of the above solutions, in describing the observed behaviour of the process, enables one to draw a few general conclusions about the strength of the limit analysis in describing realistic deep drawing processes. Also potential improvements concerning the choice of die radius of curvature and the blank holding force are indicated.     

盒形件无模充液拉深液压加载路径的研究

凹模型腔内的液体预胀形压力和工作压力是决定充液拉深过程中能否拉深出合格零件的重要工艺参数.通过采用Dynaform软件,对无模充液拉深盒形件工艺进行数字仿真,就液体压力参数对板料成形性能影响进行分析与研究.结果表明,合理地控制凹模型腔内液体加载路径和压力参数可以有效地提高板料的成形性能和成形件质量.并由液体压力所带来的摩擦保持效应可使成形件壁厚分布均匀,一次拉深的盒形件最大相对高度可达到4.25.     

基于正交试验的半球形拉深成形工艺参数优化

以某半球形TA1钛合金拉深成形件为例,通过ABAQUS有限元软件建立了拉深成形三位模型和数值模拟正交试验方案。以是否破裂和起皱为衡量指标,探究凹凸模间隙、拉深速度和压边力对拉深成形件质量的影响,结果表明:起皱现象主要出现在压边区域不影响成形件质量,对底部最小厚度的影响从大到小依次为拉深速度、压边力以及凹凸模间隙。基于正交试验结果设计优化方案,得到最优工艺参数组合并将其应用于实际生产得到表面质量较好的拉深成形件,结果表明:基于正交试验对拉深成形工艺参数优化的方案可行,可以为企业生产提供指导,具有一定的工程应用价值。     

圆杯无压边锥模拉深皱曲强度与拉深极限预测

采用能量法导出圆杯无压边锥模拉深的皱曲强度,考虑了材料性 能,径向和周向弯曲作用,厚度变化及加工硬化效应。应用该强度预测无皱极限拉深比,与 Sowerby等人使用3种材料3种板厚作的无压边锥模拉深试验结果完全一致,最大相对误差不 超过8%。提出的研究方法同样适用于轴对称非直壁零件拉深凸凹模间悬空区的切向压缩失稳 分析。     

Critical deformation in the ironing of deep-drawn cups

An instability criterion due to Hillier[1] which can also be deduced like Schmid[2] from the strain hardening energy is used to determine the critical deformation (ironing limit) in the ironing of a deep-drawn cup. The results of experiments are presented and compared with the theoretical predictions. The results prove the applicability of the simplification of the stress state due to the disc-model. Contrary to literature, the experiments also show that the stress due to loss of stability, and not the uniaxial tensile fracture stress has to be used to calculate the maximum force applicable to the bottom of the ironed part.     

1060纯铝微杯形件微拉深成形研究

微拉深成形以其高效率、低成本、高质量等优点成为一种可行的制造开口、空心、薄壁微型零件的微细加工方法。然而,由于微型化的影响,使得微拉深要比宏观拉深更加困难。研制精密微型落料-拉深复合模,成形出内径仅为1 mm的微杯形件。试验材料采用厚度为50 μm的1060纯铝,在真空氛围下经300 ℃分别退火1 h和8 h。微拉深试验在SANS CMT-5504电子万能试验机上进行,试验速度为0.05 mm/s,润滑剂为聚乙烯薄膜。研究退火工艺和压边力对拉深力、拉深比、制耳和起皱的影响。试验结果表明,顺利成形出质量良好、拉深比为2.1的微杯形件;经退火处理的坯料,拉深力降低,拉深比增大,制耳减弱;随着压边力的增加,起皱减弱,但当压边力超过一定数值后则导致拉裂。     

正交试验设计在TA2筒形件拉深成形过程中的应用

研究了TA2筒形件的拉深成形过程,对无压边圈情况下拉深成形的5个因素(凹模入口圆角、凸凹模间隙、模具与板坯之间润滑系数、凸模圆角、坯料直径)进行了有限元数值模拟及其正交试验,提出了采用成形后板坯最大厚度与最小厚度之差Δt的概念来作为描述零件成形结果的评价标准,且论证了采用该评价标准的合理性。对试验结果进行了直观分析和方差分析,得出了各因素对拉深成形过程的影响次序及显著性。     

Investigation into the formability of Al-1050 tailor-welded blanks with antilock braking system

Tailor-welded blanks (TWBs) have been widely used in the automotive industry as they reduce car weight and manufacturing cost. A new deep drawing system with an antilock braking system (ABS) was used for the improvement formability of tailor-welded blanks. In this study, Al-1050 aluminum alloy sheets, having a thickness of 1.5 and 2 mm, were welded using both a metal inert gas (MIG) and a laser welding. The effect of the conventional and ABS methods on the limiting drawing ratio (LDR), punch force, weld line movement, and wall thickness is investigated. The experimental results showed that tailored blanks produced using laser welding are not suited for deep drawing. In contrast, however, the MIG-welded blanks are suitable for deep drawing. These TWBs were deep drawn with both the conventional and ABS methods. The ABS method improved the LDR from 2.06 to 2.15 and decreased the maximum load from 17.31 to 16.53 kN when compared with the conventional method.     

An optimization strategy based on a metamodel applied for the prediction of the initial blank shape in a deep drawing process

The transformation of the sheet into a product without failure and excess of material in a deep drawing operation means that the initial blanks should be correctly designed. Therefore, the initial blank design is a critical step in deep drawing design procedure. Consequently, an easy approach for engineers in predicting the initial blank shape is necessary to reduce wastage in material and to overcome the large time consumed in the classical approaches. Thus, the aim of the present investigation is to propose an automatic procedure for the quick sheet metal forming optimization. In fact, a metamodel will be build based on artificial neural networks which will be coupled then with an optimization procedure in order to predict the initial blank shape in a rectangular cup deep drawing operation. The metamodel is built from the finite element simulations using ABAQUS commercial code. This procedure allows a significant reduce of the CPU time compared to classical optimization one. The results show that the desired shape is in good agreement with the one calculated using the optimized blank shape.     

The design of blank’s initial shape in the near net-shape deep drawing of square cup

Deep drawing process is very useful in industrial field because of its efficiency. The deep drawing is affected by many process variables, such as blank shapes, profile radii of punch and die, formability of materials and so on. Especially, in order to obtain the optimal products in deep drawing process, blank shape is very important formability factor. In this paper, the finite element method is used to investigate the cup height of the square cup drawing process. In order to verify the prediction of FEM simulation of the product’s height and forming load in the square cup drawing process, the experimental data are compared with the results of the current simulation. A finite element analysis is also utilized to acquire the designed profile of the drawn products, a reverse forming method for obtaining the initial blank’s shape according to the forward square cup drawing simulation is proposed. The design of initial blank’s shape is also certified to obtain the designed profile of drawn cups by experiment. The influences of the blank’s shape on the height of product, the forming load, the maximum effective stress and the maximum effective strain are also examined.     

差厚激光拼焊板盒形件的数值模拟研究

拼焊板技术在汽车制造业中得到了广泛的应用。焊缝存在是拼焊板成形性能降低的一个重要因素,因此研究控制焊缝移动非常重要。通过对盒形件拉伸的应力分析,得到焊缝移动规律;基于非线性隐式算法,选用各向异性屈服准则,采用阶梯压边圈,精确建立了焊缝模型,对盒形件拉深进行了数值模拟,并与试验结果进行了比较。通过对模拟结果的应力、单元厚度分析,比较模拟和试验的吻合程度,验证了应力分析和模拟的正确性。     

Optimization of the design parameters of modified die in hydro-mechanical deep drawing using LS-DYNA

The use of a modified die enhances the limiting draw ratio compared to that obtainable in a conventional deep drawing operation. Application of these dies, in conventional deep drawing, eliminated the use of blank holder but enhances the tendency of wrinkling in drawn products. In hydro-mechanical deep drawing process, the punch deforms the blank to its final shape by moving against a controlled pressurized fluid. In this paper, a new concept of the application of modified dies in hydro-mechanical deep drawing is presented. The finite element (FE) simulations of a deep-drawing process using modified dies are performed using the 2-D explicit finite element code LS-DYNA, with the aim of optimization of design parameters and the results are compared with the experimental values. The initial design steps in the design of modified die in finite element simulation were taken from the concept of Tractrix die. The use of Tractrix die enhances the draw ratio but simultaneously increases the tendency of wrinkling. In this paper the design parameters of modified Tractrix die for hydro-mechanical deep drawing are optimized for the successful drawing of cups. It is also experimentally verified that by using such modified dies in hydro-mechanical deep drawing, deeper cups are drawn without wrinkling.