Bulge Test Research Articles

Numerical springback prediction for high-strength aluminum alloys based on the sheet metal upsetting test

Springback prediction continues to play a special role in the process design of sheet metal forming processes. During the forming process, elastic energy is stored in the sheet metal, which is released after the tool is opened. The dimensional accuracy and the function of the component in particular can be negatively affected by this. For this reason, the springback is predicted by means of numerical modeling in order to improve the process design. The simulation accuracy depends primarily on the used material model to map the stress-dependent material behavior and the quality of the experimental input data. High-strength aluminum alloys, which have a distinctive springback behavior, have a slightly pronounced tensile-compressive asymmetry. Since tensile and compressive stresses often occur in sheet metal forming processes, the consideration of this effect can lead to an improvement in springback prediction. Besides modeling the yield locus curve for describing the yield strength in the plane stress area, the yield curve data is also relevant for determining the strain hardening behavior. The work hardening is usually characterized by the tensile test or the hydraulic bulge test, which is used to describe the material behavior in the tensile stress state. A promising experimental method for the analysis of the material in the uniaxial compressive stress state is the sheet metal upsetting test. In addition to a local characterization of sheet metal materials, this test also enables the investigation of the material behavior at significantly higher plastic strains than in the tensile test. Thus, in this contribution it is examined to what extent the sheet metal upsetting test is suitable for improving the springback prediction quality of material models in sheet metal forming processes.

Characterization and Modeling of Out-of-Plane Behavior of Fiber-Based Materials: Numerical Illustration of Wrinkle in Deep Drawing.

The characterization and modeling of the out-of-plane behavior of fiber-based materials is essential for understanding their mechanical properties and improving their performance in various applications, especially in the forming process. Despite this, research on paper and paperboard has mainly focused on its in-plane behavior rather than its out-of-plane behavior. However, for accurate material characterization and modeling, it is critical to consider the out-of-plane behavior. In particular, delamination occurs during forming processes such as creasing, folding, and deep drawing. In this study, three material models for paperboard are presented: a single all-material continuum model and two composite models using different cohesion methods. The two composite models decouple in-plane and out-of-plane behavior and consist of continuum models describing the behavior of individual layers and cohesive interface models connecting the layers. Material characterization experiments are performed to derive the model parameters and verify the models. The models are validated using three-point bending and bulge tests and show good agreement. A case study is also conducted on the application of the three models in the simulation of a deep drawing process with respect to wrinkle formation. By comparing the simulation results of wrinkle formation in the deep drawing process, the composite models, especially the cohesive interface composite model, show greater accuracy in replicating the experimental results, indicating that a single continuum model can also be used to represent wrinkles.

Exploring Mechanical Properties Using the Hydraulic Bulge Test and Uniaxial Tensile Test with Micro-Samples for Metals

The hydraulic bulge test with micro-samples is expected to be useful in the damage assessment of long-service-period metals to understand the degeneration of their mechanical properties. Since the hydraulic bulge test has a different stress state from the classical uniaxial tensile test, we need to understand their correlation and differences. In this study, the hydraulic bulge test and the uniaxial tensile test are employed to analyze the mechanical properties of three typical metals used in pressure vessels: 316L, 16MnDR, and Q345R. By utilizing Kruglov’s vertex thickness and Panknin’s curvature radius equivalent, the pressure–displacement curves from the hydraulic bulge test are converted into biaxial stress–strain curves. Based on the equivalent plastic energy model, the biaxial stress–strain curves are converted into uniaxial stress–strain curves with an error less than 10% in the strain hardening stage, achieving the unified characterization of mechanical properties under different stress states. Moreover, the hydraulic bulge test provides a more extensive strain hardening stage, and the fracture strains are 9–16.5% larger than those of uniaxial tensile test. This paper provides a reference for using the hydraulic bulge test with micro-samples in studying the mechanical properties and presents the advantages of this novel test method.

A novel manufacturing process for intermetallic thin-walled components: Forming and hot pressing of thin-walled laminates prepared by laying/winding metal foil strips

To address the challenge of manufacturing NiAl intermetallic thin-walled components, an integrated manufacturing process using the preform prepared by laying/winding of metal foil strips was proposed. This method entails the initial fabrication of a stacked foil preform via the laying/winding of metal foil strips, followed by pre-sintering to prepare a laminated preform. Subsequently, precise shaping is achieved through hot bulging of the laminated preform, while the NiAl intermetallic phase is obtained through reaction synthesis of Ni and Al foils under hot pressing. The microstructure of Ni/Al/Ni laminated preforms under varied sintering parameters and different laminating methods were analyzed. Additionally, the deformation behaviors of these preforms at both room and high temperatures were investigated via tensile tests and bulge tests. Results show: (1) The micro-cracks and Ni-Ni interface delamination occurred in the brittle Ni2Al3 layer of the laminated preform. The deformation capability of laminated plates decreased as the thickness of the brittle Ni2Al3 layer increased with sintering time. (2) Tiny gaps between foils due to laying path and foil size deviations, causing reduced deformability and fractures when the tensile direction was perpendicular to these gaps. (3) These gaps and micro-cracks can be progressively eliminated through hot pressing sintering processes. The findings verify the preliminary feasibility of the proposed novel manufacturing process and provide a novel solution for manufacturing NiAl intermetallic thin-walled components.

Modulus alteration of thin polystyrene films by their neighboring PDMS: Soft and hard confinement.

It is highly demanded to understand the confinement effect on nanoconfined polymers. Recent studies reported a strong perturbation of local dynamics and substantial alteration of glass transition temperature Tg at nanoscale. However, how confinement affects the mechanical properties of polymers is not fully understood. Here, we show that the modulus of thin polymer films could be remarkedly altered through a polymer-polymer interface. The modulus of a thin polystyrene (PS) film next to a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was determined from the PS-PDMS bilayer bulging test. A series of experiments show that the modulus of PS can be increased up to 37%, when the modulus of the neighboring PDMS varies from 1.04 to 4.88 MPa. The results demonstrate a strong sensitivity of mechanical properties of thin polymers to the hard/soft environment, which we attribute to the change of high-mobility layer by the polymer-polymer interface.

Effectiveness of the elastic moduli characterization of graphene or other 2D materials via Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy is a new technique to properly measure the strain of two dimensional (2D) materials, based upon which a new characterizing approach for the elastic moduli of graphene membranes was proposed from the central strain of the bulged membrane under a given pressure measured via Raman spectroscopy. In the present work, using finite element modeling (FEM), it is found that the aforementioned approach cannot properly determine the elastic moduli of free standing 2D materials. The reasons are that the membranes measured in the bulge test are not pre-strain free, and that the central strain measured via Raman spectroscopy includes both the pre-strain and the strain induced by the applied pressure. From FEM results, the negative apparent pre-strain in the membranes (corresponding the slack membranes) can result in the overestimation of their elastic moduli. The present results can be further validated by the reported experimental results, in which the measured elastic moduli of graphene membranes were significantly overestimated. Effectively estimating the apparent pre-strain is the necessary condition to properly determine the elastic moduli of graphene membranes via the central strain measured via Raman spectroscopy.

Plane-Stress Deformation Behavior of CoCrFeMnNi High-Entropy Alloy Sheet under Low Temperatures.

High-entropy alloys are promising candidates expected to be applied in transportation equipment serving in extreme environments due to their excellent properties. CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy is a typical representative of them, and its low temperature performance is excellent. In this study, to evaluate the feasibility of forming HEA shells, the deformation behavior of CoCrFeMnNi under a plane-stress state at lower temperatures was thoroughly studied. Firstly, a thin-walled HEA tube was fabricated using hot extrusion and further formed into a thin shell for uniaxial tensile and biaxial bulging tests. Subsequently, uniaxial tensile tests at cryogenic temperatures were conducted. Both the strength and the ductility improves as the temperature decreases from -160 °C to -196 °C. Then, a systematic low-temperature bulging test was performed using isothermal dome tests and the thickness uniformity analysis of the bulged specimens was carried out. In addition, grain microstructural observation using EBSD was characterized analyze the possible deformation mechanism at the cryogenic temperature under the biaxial stress state. This study, for the first time, investigated the biaxial deformation behavior of HEA. Considering the plane-stress state deformation is the dominant type in the thin-walled shell deformation, this study enables us to provide direct guidance for various sheet-forming processes of HEAs.

A novel small specimen testing method based on a pneumatic bulging test: Measurement of tensile properties at high temperatures

A novel testing method based on a pneumatic bulging test (PBT) was proposed to measure the tensile strength of round-disc-shaped miniature specimens at high temperatures. As an alternative to the small punch test (SPT) method, the concentrated force loaded by the punch was replaced with the uniformly distributed pressure loaded by high-pressure argon. A unique PBT apparatus was developed. Bulging test on specimens of SUS 304 stainless steel were carried out at 600 °C. The results show that the maximum deflection due to the bulge is located at the region of the pole of the deformed specimen, and it was also the place where the cracks initiated. Formulas are developed to forecast the instantaneous radius of curvature and thickness at the pole during the deformation process. Furthermore, the tensile strength and yield strength of the material at high temperatures were determined using the pressure−deflection curve at the pole and recommended equations. Verified with data from the uniaxial tensile experiment, the PBT method was proven to be a reliable testing technique for assessing tensile properties at high temperatures using miniature specimens. With a good physical similarity in failure mode, eccentricity-free loading, and reduced impact of contact friction from loading, the PBT technique has promising potential for future applications in the determination of high temperature strength of materials.

Deep drawing simulation of dual phase steel using hardening curves and anisotropic parameters from uniaxial and biaxial tensile tests

Among the various factors, the accuracy of the predictions from the numerical simulation of sheet metal forming processes depends on the material model used to define the mechanical behavior of the blank material. The coefficients of the hardening model to define the flow curve and the plastic strain ratios are commonly determined using the uniaxial tensile tests. The advanced anisotropic yield criteria incorporate material flow behaviour and plastic strain ratio in equi-biaxial tension. In this work, deep drawing of a flat bottom cylindrical cup has been simulated using dual-phase steel (DP600) sheets. The biaxial material properties obtained by conducting hydraulic bulge test and cruciform specimen test are used in the anisotropic yield criteria in the simulations. The hardening curves are extrapolated using different hardening laws in which the coefficients are determined from the stress-strain curves obtained from both uniaxial tensile and hydraulic bulge tests. The predicted peak drawing load and thickness variation in the drawn cups are compared with the experimental results of deep drawing.

Study on the Thermal Sensitivity of Anisotropic Thin Sheets: Application to Hot Bulge Tests

This article presents a study on the thermal sensitivity of anisotropic thin sheets, focusing specifically on their behavior during hot bulge tests. Anisotropic materials exhibit different mechanical properties in different directions, and understanding their response to thermal loading is crucial for various engineering applications.
 The experimental investigation involves subjecting thin sheets of anisotropic materials to controlled thermal conditions and measuring their response. The hot bulge test, a well-established method, is employed to analyze the behavior of the sheets under elevated temperatures. This test involves applying a controlled internal pressure to a heated circular and elliptical specimen, causing it to deform and form a bulge.
 Through this study, the thermal sensitivity of anisotropic thin sheets is characterized by analyzing the bulge height, bulge profile, and strain distribution. The influence of various factors, such as temperature, material anisotropy, and loading rate, is examined to understand their effects on the sheet's response.
 Experimental results reveal significant variations in the thermal sensitivity of anisotropic thin sheets, depending on the material's orientation and temperature. The study demonstrates that certain orientations exhibit greater sensitivity to thermal loading, leading to distinct bulge profiles and strain distributions.
 Furthermore, numerical simulations are conducted using finite element analysis to validate and complement the experimental findings. The simulation models incorporate the anisotropic material properties and the thermal boundary conditions, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the thermal sensitivity behavior observed experimentally.
 The outcomes of this study provide valuable insights into the thermal behavior of anisotropic thin sheets, particularly in the context of hot bulge tests. The findings contribute to the knowledge base of material characterization and can aid in the design and optimization of structures and components subjected to thermal loading, where anisotropic materials are involved.

Mechanical Behavior of Lithium-Ion Battery Separators under Uniaxial and Biaxial Loading Conditions.

The mechanical integrity of two commercially available lithium-ion battery separators was investigated under uniaxial and biaxial loading conditions. Two dry-processed microporous films with polypropylene (PP)/polyethylene (PE)/polypropylene (PP) compositions were studied: Celgard H2010 Trilayer and Celgard Q20S1HX Ceramic-Coated Trilayer. The uniaxial tests were carried out along the machine direction (MD), transverse direction (TD), and diagonal direction (DD). In order to generate a state of in-plane biaxial tension, a pneumatic bulge test setup was prioritized over the commonly performed punch test in an attempt to eliminate the effects of contact friction. The biaxial flow stress-strain behavior of the membranes was deduced via the Panknin-Kruglov method coupled with a 3D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique. The findings demonstrate a high degree of in-plane anisotropy in both membranes. The ceramic coating was found to negatively affect the mechanical performance of the trilayer microporous separator, compromising its strength and stretchability, while preserving its failure mode. Derived from experimentally calibrated constitutive models, a finite element model was developed using the explicit solver OpenRadioss. The numerical model was capable of predicting the biaxial deformation of the semicrystalline membranes up until failure, showing a fairly good correlation with the experimental observations.

An innovative approach to characterize the elastic moduli of 2D materials from the central strain of bulged membrane

Freestanding 2D materials are essentially under the adhesive boundary condition instead of the typically assumed clamped boundary condition, and the membrane deformation in pressure bulge testing is actually similar as that of the slack membrane. A new bulge testing model of freestanding 2D materials is proposed from the central strain of the bulged membrane under a given pressure, based upon which the elastic moduli of 2D materials can be properly characterized by an easy testing approach. In this approach, instead of using a complex pressure loading and measuring system, the 2D materials mounted on the substrate with circular holes are simply placed into the vacuum chamber, and the moduli of materials can be characterized from their central strain measured via Raman spectroscopy. In addition, finite element modeling (FEM) is employed to validate the effectiveness of the model proposed in the present work. The present approach can provide a useful guideline on effectively characterizing the elastic moduli of 2D materials via a very simple approach, based upon which the elastic moduli can be characterized via a new technique, like Raman spectroscopy.

Experimental and computational analysis of elastomer membranes used in oscillating water column WECs

The study investigates the structural characterisation of flexible membranes used in oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converters (WECs). Four commonly utilised elastomers – natural rubber, nitrile rubber, silicone, and latex – were subjected to a novel hyperelastic model selection process. A custom bulge test setup enabled the selection of second-order Mooney-Rivlin (SOMR) and Yeoh models for relevant accuracy (RMSE<0.018 MPa), stability and numerical validation. A 1:20 scale OWC model with latex was tested in a water tank to examine the effects of waves with a frequency range of 0.25–1.4 Hz and up to 0.24m amplitude. Water tank experiments demonstrated smooth frequency responses for OWC with membrane, beneficial for consistent power generation. A dry test rig was designed and built to replicate OWC inflation conditions and apply cyclic loadings up to 1.5 Hz, overcoming pressure limitations of the water tank, exploring wider material options, and validating numerical simulation. An optical motion capture system, Qualisys, supported the validation process by providing precise data on membrane deformation during experiments. Furthermore, finite element analysis (FEA) was utilised to conduct stress analysis and parametric studies, assessing the suitability of these materials for flexible OWC application.

Observing High‐Cycle Fatigue Damage in Freestanding Gold Thin Films with Bulge Testing and Intermittent TEM Imaging

Bulge testing is a potent technique for measuring the mechanical properties of freestanding thin films, but in‐situ imaging is only possible in limited experimental configurations. This poses a serious limitation for unraveling nanoscale failure mechanisms, such as the deformation mechanisms induced by cyclic loading in freestanding gold thin films of 150 nm thickness. Here, we introduce a new experimental workflow combining standalone bulge cyclic testing with intermittent high‐resolution imaging by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at specific positions of interest. The observed low dislocation activity in planar areas of the thin films is consistent with the slow strain accumulation during high‐cycle fatigue testing. In contrast, notches in the films lead to localized plasticity with sustained dislocation activity, but also grain growth and sub‐grain formation. At a more advanced stage, cracks proceed along grain boundaries, with crack bridging seemingly slowing down their propagation. The presented setup can be used with a number of TEM‐based characterization techniques and has the potential to reveal cyclic deformation mechanisms in several thin film systems.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Coordinated deformation behavior and gas bulging formability of hot-pressed Ni/Al micro-laminated composite sheet

To fabricate NiAl complex thin-walled components, a novel Ni/Al micro-laminated composite sheet (NAMCS) was prepared by vacuum hot-pressing. Based on the uniaxial tensile tests at different temperatures, the mechanical properties of NAMCS were investigated. To clarify the uniaxial tensile coordinated deformation mechanism of NAMCS, the deformed microstructure at different tensile strains was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that some cracks formed in NiAl3 and Ni2Al3 layers at a tensile strain of 5%, room temperature and 300 °C. At 600 °C and a tensile strain of 20%, some microvoids were observed in the NiAl3 layers, but no cracks formed in the Ni2Al3 layers until the sample fractured at a tensile strain of 78.7%. This indicated a good coordinated deformation ability. The high-temperature free gas bulging test of NAMCS showed that the limit bulging ratio (the ratio of limit bulging height to die diameter) of NAMCS at 600 °C reached 33.3%, implying good formability.

The Characterization of the Plastic Instability of S235 Thin Steel Sheets by Multiple Regression and Analysis of Variance Methods

In this study, we present a new identification method of parameters characterizing the elastoplastic damage behavior of sheet metal based on analysis of variance. The analysis covered experimental and numerical simulation results using the finite element method of the sheet mild steel bulge test. The identification procedure was validated through a confrontation between numerical simulations and experimental results on several hydroforming applications, such as a free expansion and an expansion in matrix cavities. Results show consistency between experimental observations and numerical predictions of instabilities. Furthermore, the location of risk areas of instability and rupture and the damage level could be quantified. The analysis focused on a set of results combining experimental data and numerical simulations of the bulge test of steel sheets. The identified models were validated thanks to a comparison between numerical simulations and experimental results of a set of forming applications by bulge test. The results show coherence between the experimental observations and the numerical predictions of the instabilities.

Membrane‐based mechanical characterization of screen‐printed inks: Deflection analysis of ink layers on polyimide membranes

AbstractMeasurements of Young's modulus and residual stresses of screen‐printed ink layers using a bulge test on coated polyimide‐based membranes are proposed in this work. The applied bulge test monitors the deflection of membranes under pressure with interferometry. The obtained Young's modulus ranges from 6 to 8 GPa for a carbon blend‐based ink and is around 12 GPa for a silver nanoparticle ink. These values are compared with standard nanoindentation and show good agreement. Besides, the residual stresses range from −4 to 8 MPa for the carbon blend‐based ink, while the silver ink is measured around −10 MPa. The use of the membrane‐based method underlines the influence of exact deposition and curing conditions on the ink film material properties. The impact of the substrate on the ink layer properties, such as the thickness and its uniformity, is discussed, especially with regard to the heat treatment of the membrane.

A Modified DF2016 Criterion for the Fracture Modeling from Shear to Equibiaxial Tension.

This study introduces a modified DF2016 criterion to model a ductile fracture of sheet metals from shear to equibiaxial tension. The DF2016 criterion is modified so that a material constant is equal to the fracture strain at equibiaxial tension, which can be easily measured by the bulging experiments. To evaluate the performance of the modified DF2016 criterion, experiments are conducted for QP980 with five different specimens with stress states from shear to equibiaxial tension. The plasticity of the steel is characterized by the Swift-Voce hardening law and the pDrucker function, which is calibrated with the inverse engineering approach. A fracture strain is measured by the XTOP digital image correlation system for all the specimens, including the bulging test. The modified DF2016 criterion is also calibrated with the inverse engineering approach. The predicted force-stroke curves are compared with experimental results to evaluate the performance of the modified DF2016 criterion on the fracture prediction from shear to equibiaxial tension. The comparison shows that the modified DF2016 criterion can model the onset of the ductile fracture with high accuracy in wide stress states from shear to plane strain tension. Moreover, the calibration of the modified DF2016 criterion is comparatively easier than the original DF2016 criterion.

Investigation of the Real Shape Changes of Round Thin-Film Membranes during the Bulge Testing

Investigation of the Real Shape Changes of Round Thin-Film Membranes during the Bulge Testing

The Forming Limit Diagram of 2A16 Aluminum Alloy Sheet Based on Hydraulic Bulging Test of Elliptical Die

An elliptical die hydraulic bulging test was carried out to explore the forming performance of 2A16 aluminum alloy sheets during hydroforming. By using five groups of elliptical dies with ovality of 1.0, 0.9, 0.8, 0.6, and 0.4, the effects of different pressure rates of 0.02 MPa/s, 0.04 MPa/s, and 0.08 MPa/s on the test results were studied, and different sheets thicknesses of 2 mm and 2.5 mm were also explored, then the equivalent stress and strain values obtained by theoretical calculation were also analyzed. Finally, the complete forming limit diagram (FLD) of the 2A16 aluminum alloy sheet at room temperature was plotted through the elliptical hydraulic bulging test and the uniaxial tensile test under the same test conditions. The results show that as the ellipticity increases, the maximum equivalent stress-strain value of sheets gradually increases; reducing the hydroforming pressure rate or increasing the thickness of the sheet can slightly increase the maximum bulging height of the sheet, but it has no significant impact on the maximum equivalent stress and strain value of this material. There is no noticeable difference in the FLD on the right side, indicating that its FLD is universal for a material.