The role of friction in the sheet metal forming numerical simulation

Abstract

This study aims to fulfil the current needs of the sheet metal forming industry by designing a practical, fast, efficient and low-cost rig to describe friction. Nowadays, the technological tool design process of sheet metal components is unthinkable without the application of finite element modelling. Despite the importance of friction for the metal forming processes, it is frequently overlooked in metal forming simulations. Many manufactures are demanding for a more accurate description of tribology. Therefore, there are some relatively simple devices, based on traditional tests that have been presenting high accuracy on friction prediction. Until now, no universal method for determining the coefficient of friction has been established. This is due to the variety of geometry on the contact between the tool and the deformed material, as well as the presence of various stress and strain states in different areas of the draw piece during different moments of the sheet metal forming. This paper presents the first friction results obtained with the new equipment built at the University of Miskolc. For the analyses it was applied 2 different velocities and 5 different pressures. The results were analysed using the analyses of variance.