Study of multi-point forming for polycarbonate sheet

The multi-point forming (MPF) process of polycarbonate (PC) sheet is introduced briefly, geometrical relationship between objective surface and punch element is determined, and a simple calculation scheme of punch height is developed. Numerical simulations of spherical and saddle-shaped parts are carried out by dynamic explicit finite element analysis; the effects of forming temperature, forming pressure, punch matrix, and punch radius on the forming quality are investigated, and the suitable forming parameters are determined. Then, the MPF experiments of PC sheet for spherical and saddle-shaped parts based on the forming parameters are done, and the comparisons of shape error between experimental parts and object surfaces are carried out. Consequently, the PC products have good shape accuracy, which confirms that MPF used for forming PC sheet is feasible and the forming parameters obtained by numerical simulation are sensible.     

Formability analysis on the process of multi-point forming for titanium alloy retiary sheet

The multi-point forming (MPF) process of spherical surface parts of titanium alloy retiary sheet and titanium alloy sheet metal with different thickness and curvature radius was simulated by an explicit finite element software. Contradistinctive analysis between retiary sheet and sheet metal forming parts with different modes were done. The simulation results show that under the same forming conditions, titanium alloy retiary sheet is not easy to wrinkle and springback, whereas it is easy to form. The reason for differences in the formability of above-mentioned sheet metal is also analyzed. A non-wrinkling limited graph and a fracture critical graph for spherical surface parts of retiary metal sheet and metal sheet were obtained. Finally a forming test of titanium alloy cranial prosthesis was done in MPF press. Testing results indicate the customized 3D curved surface of prosthesis can be adequately shaped and the forming quality was guaranteed.     

Numerical simulation on the local stress and local deformation in multi-point stretch forming process

Multi-point stretch forming (MPSF) is a new flexible forming technique to form aircraft outer skin parts. The multi-point stretching die (MPSD) replaces the traditional fixed shape stretching die, and the sheet metal is formed over a MPSD composed by the punch element. The MPSD is a discontinuous surface of discrete stretching die, and the stress concentration and local strain occur on formed parts. These lead to generate dimples on the surface of formed part. In this paper, a series of numerical simulations on MPSF processes for stretching parabolic cylindrical, spherical, and saddle-shaped parts were carried out. The local stress and local strain in thickness distribution of MPSF part were analyzed by dispersed the blank into solid elements. The forming results of MPSF were compared with those that use traditional stretch forming, and the influences of thickness of elastic cushion and the size of punch element on the stress concentration and local strain were surveyed. The simulation results show the distribution of local stress and local deformation in different layers, and the elastic cushion and the small size of punch element can reduce the stress concentration and local deformation. The results may understand the stress distribution on the sheet and prevent the defect of dimple.     

Numerical simulations on reducing the unloading springback with multi-step multi-point forming technology

Multi-point forming (MPF) is an innovative flexible manufacturing technology for three-dimensional sheet metal forming. It replaces the conventional solid dies with a set of height-adjustable discrete punches, called the “punch group”. A set of punches can construct various three-dimensional curved surfaces freely and conveniently, through adjusting the relative position of each punch. MPF technology not only saves a significant amount of money and time in the design, manufacture, and adjusting of the dies but it can also be applied to change the deformation path and to improve the forming quality. Unloading springback is an inevitable phenomenon in sheet metal forming using MPF. To control and reduce springback, numerical simulations for the MPF process and the unloading springback are carried out using the explicit-implicit coupled finite element method. Subsequently, influencing factors such as thickness, deformation amount, and material properties of MPF springback are researched to investigate the MPF springback tendency. Next, the multi-step MPF technology is introduced to reduce MPF springback. Based on numerical simulation analysis, it is obviously validated that the unloading springback is decreased when the multi-step MPF method is applied. Finally, it is verified that the equidifferent deformation path and small deformation amount of each forming step can improve the workpiece stress state and minimize the unloading springback effectively by an evaluation result of the deformation path effect on the multi-step MPF.     

Numerical investigation of the influence of punch element in multi-point stretch forming process

Multi-point stretch forming (MPSF) technology is a flexible forming method, and it eliminates the need to the traditional fixed shaped-stretching die and, therefore, is a suitable method for forming small batch quantities of aircraft outer skin parts. Multi-point stretch die (MPSD) is composed of a punch element matrix, the size of punch elements and the radius of the hemispherical end of elements are the two important geometrical parameters of MPSD and they are major factors to influence the shape accuracy of MPSF parts. The smaller size of punch elements makes the punch element number of MPSD larger in the same area. MPSDs with different element numbers and different hemispherical end radii are used for stretch spherical and toroidal saddle-shaped parts. The dimples and the shape error of MPSF parts were analyzed, and the results show the influences of punch element number and element hemispherical end radius on forming results. MPSF tests show that the forming effect of MPSF is excellent.     

三维板料成形过程的有限元分析

基于有限变形理论建立了三维金属板料成形过程的弹塑性有限元数学模型。数学模型采用物质坐标系中的Total Lagrange描述、J 2型本构方程和等向强化假设,考虑了板料的厚向异性,对于金属板料与模具的摩擦定律。为简化计算采用薄膜单元。为了改善节点接触状态变化时计算的收敛性,提出了“弹性边界层”方法。采用根据此模型编制的程序模拟了机油收集器基本件的成形过程,并与试验结果进行了比较。     

板材多点分段成形工艺的数值模拟研

利用有限元法对板材多点分段成形工艺进行了多工步成形的模拟分析，对多点分段成形过程中金属流动规律及过渡区的变形特点进行了研究，就不同重叠区面积对成形结果的影响进行了对比，并模拟了采用变形协调区的多点分段成形过程。模拟结果表明板料中心曲率值偏低以及强制变形区和过渡区交界处的曲率突变是限制多点分段成形的主要因素。有重叠区的多点分段成形可减缓强制变形区与过渡区交界处的曲率突变现象，但未完全消除剧烈的塑性变形。采用变形协调多点分段成形方法可减缓曲率变化速率，避免局部剧烈塑性变形的发生，并且得到表面质量良好、变形均匀的制品，实现利用小设备成形大型件的目的。     

薄壁深抛物线形零件固体颗粒介质成形工艺

薄壁抛物线形壳体成形过程为拉深和胀形两种变形模式的复合,极易发生起皱和破裂。固体颗粒介质成形是采用固体颗粒代替刚性凸模或凹模(或弹性体、液体)对板料进行成形的工艺。板材在颗粒介质内压的作用下成形,可以有效防止抛物线形件拉深成形过程中侧壁的起皱;由于颗粒内压是非均匀分布的,故可以有效控制抛物线形件成形过程中的破裂,提高板材的成形极限。根据固体颗粒介质成形工艺的特点,提出了两次成形薄壁深壳体零件的工艺,建立了数值分析模型,通过数值模拟和试验对该成形过程和工艺参数进行了分析。结果表明,采用固体颗粒介质成形工艺过程简单、成形工件壁厚分布均匀、表面质量好、回弹小。     

Investigation of hydrodynamic deep drawing for conical�Ccylindrical cups

Forming conical parts is one of the complex and difficult fields in sheet-metal forming processes. Because of low-contact area of the sheet with punch tip in the initial stages of forming, bursting occurs on the sheet. Moreover, since most of the sheet surface in the area between the punch tip and blank holder is free, wrinkles appear on the wall of the drawing part. Thus, these parts are normally formed in industry by spinning, explosive forming, or multi-stage deep drawing processes. In this paper, forming pure copper and St14 conical?Ccylindrical cups in the hydrodynamic deep drawing process was studied using finite element (FE) simulation and experiment. The effect of pressure path on the occurrence of defects and thickness distribution and drawing ratio of the sheet was studied. It was concluded that at low pressures, bursting occurs on the contact area of sheet with punch tip. At higher pressures, the cup was formed, but the wall thickness distribution depends on the pressure path. It was also illustrated that for the pressure path with a certain maximum amount, the workpiece was formed adequately with minimum sheet thickness reduction. Internal pressures more than this maximum amounts did not affect on the thickness distribution. By applying the desired pressure path, conical?Ccylindrical cups with high deep drawing ratio were achieved.     

盒形件固体颗粒介质板材成形工艺研究

固体颗粒介质板材成形工艺是采用固体颗粒微珠代替刚性凸(凹)模(或弹性体、液体)的作用对板材拉深成形的新工艺。选用非金属固体颗粒介质——GM颗粒作为研究对象,以固体颗粒介质在高应力水平下的体积压缩试验和摩擦强度试验为基础,应用散体力学理论中扩展的Drucker-Prager线性模型构建固体颗粒介质有限元材料模型。以具有非轴对称性的方盒形件为代表,进行固体颗粒介质成形工艺的有限元模拟,研究成形过程中板材的流动特征和壁厚分布规律。工艺试验成功得到方盒形零件,将加载曲线、成形过程变形特征和壁厚分布曲线与数值模拟结果比对较为吻合。分析表明,采用以散体力学为基础建立的固体颗粒介质材料模型进行工艺模拟,能够得到与试验较为接近的变形特征和力能参数,可以应用于制定工艺方案的依据,为该技术在板材成形中的应用起到指导和借鉴作用。     

铝合金阶梯形件粘性介质压力成形的研究

通过压缩试验得到了粘性介质的应力－－应变关系、压力衰减随冲头加载速率及时间变化的规律。采用有限元软件DEFORM分析了在不同压边力下分别用钢凸模和粘性介质成形铝合金阶梯形件的工艺过程。结果显示，采用VPF可以提高板料的成形性。根据模拟结果，采用VPF成功地制备了阶梯形件，这表明有限元法对VPF试验具有很好的指导意义。     

The effect of nanoparticulate loading on the fabrication and characterization of multi-doped Zn-Al2O3-Cr2O3 hybrid coatings on mild steel

In this paper, an improved approach is proposed to determine the optimal profiles of two controllable process parameters (hydraulic pressure and blank holder force), which improve the forming condition and/or make better use of forming limits in hydromechanical deep drawing (HMD) process. A method based on adaptive finite element analysis coupled with fuzzy control algorithm (aFEA-FCA) was developed using LS-DYNA to determine the optimal loading profiles and thus to maximize the limiting drawing ratio (LDR). Maximum thickness reduction, maximum wrinkle height in the flange region of the sheet metal blank, and position of the nodes in the unsupported portion of the sheet metal blank between punch and die were used as criteria in the fuzzy control algorithm. Different rule-based matrices were compared by considering the maximum thinning occurred in the sheet metal blank, and thus, the most accurate matrices were determined for the control algorithm. The optimal loading profiles could be determined in a single FEA, thus reducing the computation time. The proposed approach enables determining the optimal loading profiles and also could be applied to complex parts easily. In addition, effects of initial blank diameter and coefficient of friction between the sheet-blank holder and sheet-die on the optimal loading profiles were investigated. An attainable LDR of 2.75 for AA 5754-O sheet material in hydromechanical deep drawing process was proven experimentally using the optimal loading profiles determined by adaptive FEA.     

Surrogate-based multi-point forming process optimization for dimpling and wrinkling reduction

Multi-point forming (MPF) has been gaining attention for use in flexible sheet metal forming, since it is conducive to the manufacture of various shapes. However, discrete punch elements may induce either dimples or wrinkles, resulting in defective products. To address these forming issues, this study aims to eliminate both dimpling and wrinkling by adjusting parameters such as the punch speed, punch pressure (cushion compressive strain ratio), and elastic cushion thickness through multi-objective optimization. Evaluation of dimpling and wrinkling under variation in these three MPF parameters benefits from ordinary Kriging for computational efficiency. Multi-objective optimization with a genetic algorithm is used to determine the Pareto fronts of the dimpling and wrinkling measures, and a technique for order preferences by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is performed for identifying the best candidate among the Pareto optima. Finally, a dimpling-and-wrinkling-free TOPSIS solution is numerically verified by comparison with results of a full model simulation and experimentally validated by its application to a manufactured product.     

汽车覆盖件冲压成形仿真的研究及其工程应用

拉延是板料冲压成NAFORM建立有限元冲压仿真系统,对板料拉延成形过程进行了研究.结果表明,坯料形状、压边力大小和拉延筋布置是影响板料拉延成形的关键因素;典型仿真范例验证了研究结果的可靠性,并从成形极限图(FLD)上进行了工艺方案的改进.     

Research on three-dimensional surface parts in multi-gripper flexible stretch forming

Multi-gripper flexible stretch forming (MGFSF) is a novel flexible forming process of sheet metal based on the multi-point forming principle. The straight jaws in traditional transverse stretch forming (TSF) are replaced by several discrete clamping mechanisms on both sides. To help understand the forming characters of MGFSF, spherical and concave–convex parts were selected as the research objects and finite element analyses on TSF and MGFSF were implemented using an explicit nonlinear finite element code. The influence of the transition length on the forming results in MGFSF was also taken into account in the present work. The simulation results reveal that a shorter transition length in MGFSF would result in an easier conformability of the sheet metal to the desired shape as well as a smaller strain variation in the forming zone. It is also found that, compared to TSF, the sheet metal can be formed without transition zone by utilizing MGFSF, which could significantly improve the material utilization and save the manufacturing costs. Finally, experimental validations were conducted on the self-developed MGFSF apparatus and the experimental results show a good agreement with the numerical results.     

DEFORMATION ANALYSIS OF SHEET METAL SINGLE-POINT INCREMENTAL FORMING BY FINITE ELEMENT METHOD SIMULATION

Single-point incremental forming （SPIF） is an innovational sheet metal forming method without dedicated dies, which belongs to rapid prototyping technology. In generalizing the SPIF of sheet metal, the deformation analysis on forming process becomes an important and useful method for the planning of shell products, the choice of material, the design of the forming process and the planning of the forming tool. Using solid brick elements, the finite element method（FEM） model of truncated pyramid was established. Based on the theory of anisotropy and assumed strain formulation, the SPIF processes with different parameters were simulated. The resulted comparison between the simulations and the experiments shows that the FEM model is feasible and effective. Then, according to the simulated forming process, the deformation pattern of SPIF can be summarized as the combination of plane-stretching deformation and bending deformation. And the study about the process parameters＇ impact on deformation shows that the process parameter of interlayer spacing is a dominant factor on the deformation. Decreasing interlayer spacing, the strain of one step decreases and the formability of blank will be improved. With bigger interlayer spacing, the plastic deformation zone increases and the forming force will be bigger.     

Numerical simulation of electric hot incremental sheet forming of 1050 aluminum with and without preheating

Incremental sheet forming (ISF) consists of deforming the sheet, through a spherical punch, punctually and progressively until it reaches the desired geometry. Compared to the conventional process, the ISF can achieve much higher levels of formability. But the stresses and residual strains are often pushed to the limit on the path, producing a piece with brittle behavior, which is not desirable for applications in engineering. To work around this inconvenience, one solution would be to perform the conformation at high temperatures, a process known in engineering as hot forming. This study aims to evaluate the behavior of the state of stresses and strains in the hot incremental sheet forming of 1050 aluminum alloy, with and without pre-heating, using the finite element method. This behavior has been studied by numerical simulation, using the software RADIOSS, which has a suitable formulation for inserting the effects of temperature and strain rate in the material. The results show a decline in the forces for electric hot incremental sheet forming preheated (EHISFP) compared to the electric hot incremental sheet forming (EHISF). Moreover, for these same cases, there was a gain in relation to the geometric precision on average more than 4%.     

An experimental analysis of effects of various material tool’s wear on burr during generator sheets blanking

Blanking is one of the most frequently used processes in sheet metal forming. Unlike other forming processes, such as stamping, blanking not only deforms the metal plastically to give the appropriate size and shape, but also ruptures the sheet metal in the desired zones. Among the others, blanking enables manufacturing of electric motor components, such as rotor or stator parts. The parts of the low power commutator motor of rotor and stator are made of generator sheets, which are really difficult to do from the machining point of view. The shock loads and high reaction of the sheet metal of separation surface to the punch surface are presented during the blanking process. In this paper, an investigation has been made to study the effects of punch–die clearance, tool materials, and tool coatings on the wear of blanking tools. In the paper, the feasibility analysis for various materials used for production of the tools for punching the generator sheets is presented.     

Analysis of deep drawing of sheet metal using the Marform process

This paper deals with the deep drawing of metal cups using the Marform process. Using this technique, higher limiting drawing ratios can be obtained compared with the conventional deep drawing process. The analytical model of the process is presented initially, followed by the finite element simulations using ABAQUS software. A new friction model based on local contact conditions is presented and used in the finite element (FE) simulations of the process. Compared with traditional Coulomb friction model, the results of the FE simulations with the new friction model showed good correlation with experimental results. The results showed that the maximum thinning occurs at the punch profile portion, and by increasing the forming pressure, thinning of the sheet metal propagates from the punch profile portion to the side wall. At low forming pressures, wrinkles appear in the flange, whilst at higher pressures, fracture is the main defect of the Marform process.     

Laser shock forming of SUS304 stainless steel sheet with elliptical spot

A novel forming method by laser shock wave with elliptical spot is reported. The mechanism of laser shock forming (LSF) and equation of pressure pulse were presented, and SUS304 stainless steel with a thickness of 0.4?mm was experimentally investigated. Firstly, the deformed specimen was measured by ARGUS optical measuring system, and the results of major and minor strain and material thickness reduction of sheet metal to analyze the deformation qualities were provided. Secondly, the major and minor strains were imported into forming limit diagram (FLD) to evaluate the forming parameters. The result clearly shows that all measurement points are below the forming limit curves of the SUS304 steel. Finally, the thickness reduction along long-axis direction was simulated and analyzed by using ABAQUS finite element (FE) software. The simulated results are basically in agreement with the experiment data.