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Increased sheet-forming capability via controlling in-plane stress state of the sheet metal using hetero-structured flexible dies

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Abstract

Plastic deformation of the sheet metal occurs synchronously with elastic deformation of the elastomer in flexible die forming process using elastic die. Thus, adjusting elastic deformation state of the elastomer to adapt to stress state of the sheet metal may be a potential way to improve sheet-forming capability. In this work, various deformation modes of the flexible dies were established using elastomers with different structures, which aims at developing a new way to improve sheet-forming capability through controlling in-plane stress state of the sheet metal. Digital image correlation (DIC) technique was used to capture the displacement and strain field of the sheet metal in bulge tests. Finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted to obtain pressure field of the flexible die and in-plane stresses of the sheet metal. The results showed that forming load, bulged height, and bulge strain could be adjusted by using flexible dies with different structures. The sharp increase of normal pressure in local region at the flexible die/sheet interface leads to non-uniform distribution of radial and circumferential stresses of the sheet metal. A design strategy of flexible die with a hollow structure (i.e., type 6) was proposed to reduce localization of interfacial normal pressure. Due to evenly-distributed normal pressure and beneficial friction at the flexible die/sheet interface, radial and circumferential stresses subjected by the sheet metal were relieved effectively. And the consequent increase of bulge height and bulge strain indicates the improvement of sheet-forming capability.

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Funding

The presented investigations have been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51905156 and No.51805309) and the fellowship of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2020M672221). The authors kindly acknowledge these supports.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, China

    Nan Xiang, Tao Huang, Jun-qing Guo & Fu-xiao Chen

  2. College of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi’an 710021, China

    Peng-yi Wang

  3. School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China

    Li-huang Zheng

  4. Henan Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Materials Science and Processing Technology, Luoyang, 471023, China

    Xiu-hua Guo

Authors
  1. Nan Xiang
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  2. Tao Huang
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  3. Peng-yi Wang
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  4. Li-huang Zheng
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  5. Jun-qing Guo
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  6. Xiu-hua Guo
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  7. Fu-xiao Chen
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Contributions

XIANG Nan: Conceptualization, methodology, writing-original draft, and funding acquisition; HUANG Tao: Formal analysis and data curation; WANG Pengyi: Investigation and funding acquisition; ZHENG Li-huang: Formal analysis and data curation; GUO Jun-qing: Visualization; GUO Xiu-hua: Writing-review and editing; CHEN Fuxiao: Project administration. The authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Nan Xiang or Peng-yi Wang.

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Xiang, N., Huang, T., Wang, Py. et al. Increased sheet-forming capability via controlling in-plane stress state of the sheet metal using hetero-structured flexible dies. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 120, 3491–3506 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-08940-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-08940-8

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