A 3-D Forming Prediction Method of Increase of Sheet Thickness during Drawing Process

Abstract

To lighten total product weights, the local increases in sheet thickness of products effectively contribute to decreasing product weights, when appropriate sheet thickness distribution in product by a designer could be performed by using an accurate prediction method by simulation. The designer only could distribute thick part where needed a large moment inertia of area from the view points of the strength of the section. In the sense of the such optical designing for the variable thickness distribution in the products, we do not need to consider that sheet thickness should be constant in a product. This paper is concerned with a forming prediction during deep drawing process. To clarify the mechanism of increase of sheet thickness, a 3-D forming simulation during deep drawing by finite element method was performed. Effects of tool shapes (contacting angles to the original materials, contacting length of punch with a material) which mainly affects the results on thickness change of original materials were investigated. The thickness distribution of drawn cups was measured in order to compare simulation results obtained by the finite element method. It has been found that controlling sheet thickness distribution was possible if an original material was relatively thick, when in choosing an appropriate manufacturing condition could be selected.