Improving the Accuracy of Stamping Analyses Including Springback Deformations

Abstract

An accurate prediction of sheet metal deformation including springback is one of the main issues in an efficient finite element (FE) simulation in automotive and stamping industries. Considering tooling design for newer class of high-strength steels, in particular, this requirement became an important aspect for springback compensation practices today. The sheet deformation modeling accounting Bauschinger effect is considered to be a key factor affecting the accuracy of FE simulations in this context. In this article, a rate-independent cyclic plasticity model is presented and implemented into LS-Dyna software for an accurate modeling of sheet metal deformation in stamping simulations. The proposed model uses Hill’s orthotropic yield surface in the description of yield loci of planar and transversely anisotropic sheets. The strain-hardening behavior is calculated based on an additive backstress form of the nonlinear kinematic hardening rule. The proposed model is applied in stamping simulations of a dual-phase steel automotive part, and comparisons are presented in terms of part strain and thickness distributions calculated with isotropic plasticity and the proposed model. It is observed that both models produce similar plastic strain and thickness distributions; however, there appeared to be considerable differences in computed springback deformations. Part shapes computed with both plasticity models were evaluated with surface scanning of manufactured parts. A comparison of FE computed geometries with manufactured parts proved the improved performance of proposed model over isotropic plasticity for this particular stamping application.