Towards robust simulations in sheet metal forming

Abstract

Robust processes and robust engineering are enjoying increasing interest throughout industry. Robust engineering is taking into account variations that can occur during manufacturing processes when we analyse or optimise them. Corus is interested in robust engineering, being a supplier of steel not just for its own processes but also for supporting customers. Robust engineering, if properly applied to e.g. the stamping process, ensures that the customer’s forming process is stable and insensitive to material and process variations, thus reducing scrap rates. To analyse a stamping process for robustness input in terms of variation in process and material properties is needed. As a material supplier we focus on the variation in material properties. This paper deals with the effect of the material models used in simulation on the prediction of process variations as well as scrap rate. The effect of models on the variation itself is small, however, the effect on the average (and hence on e.g. scrap rate) is significant. Some examples of the capabilities of commercial software are also added.