Design, Analysis and Application of a Novel Test for Sheet Metal Forming Limits under Non-Planar Stress States

摘要

Recent work on incremental sheet forming processes has demonstrated that they induce non-planar stress states which give significantly increased forming limits. In previous work, we have extended the Marcinak-Kuczynski analysis for in-plane loading to include proportional loading with all six components of the stress tensor, and have represented the results as a generalised forming limit diagram. This paper proposes a first standardised test of forming limits under these conditions. A novel apparatus is constructed in which a sliding carriage can apply controllable compressive rolling, three-roll bending, or through thickness shearing to a sample undergoing uniaxial extension. Finite element analysis demonstrates the effect of this loading on deformation and details of equipment design are given. Initial trials are used to assess the repeatability of the tests and to confirm whether the strain states induced in the workpieces conform with finite element predictions. Tests to examine increases in formability under various loading conditions show greatly increased failure strains, but with some variability in results, and only partial agreement with analytical predictions.