Investigation of microstructure and texture during continuous bending of rolled AZ31 sheet by experiment and FEM

Abstract

Various continuous bending experiment with three loading rates (100, 300 and 500 mm/min) at room temperature was adopted to investigate the diversity of microstructure, springback and texture of sheet after straightening. Due to grain size at the central layer of the bent plate decreased with the augment of bending rate, and the grain size was finest and most homogeneous at the bending rate of 500 mm/min. After each bending process, due to the springback and the shift of the neutral layer, the load of each time was gradually degressive. The deviations of springback between bending passes declined by degrees under 300 and 500 mm/min rates. However, the springback difference reached a minimum on the ninth pass under 100 mm/min bending rate. In addition, the intensity of {0002} basal texture, which is close-packed plane got to a minimum on the 100 mm/min bending rate. Meanwhile, the intensity of {10 1¯ 1} and {10 1¯ 2} textures, which shifted from TD-split to concentrating on the side of the RD, declined with incresing the bending rate. The FE software was used and the experimental process was simulated accurately.