Key Engineering Materials Vol. 639

Abstract: This paper presents the analysis and the optimization of the process parameters for an innovative and more efficient production system for claw pole alternators intended for automotive application. The authors, after a preliminary study about forces, material properties and geometrical specifics to achieve, set out a first set of parameters to realize an 8-pole rotor. After that, it was possible to layout each step of the forging process in a FE model and observe the geometrical properties of the final rotor. Once reached a good comprehension of the whole process by preliminary studies, experiments were conducted with the effective material currently employed to build the claw pole and other information were collected to refine the finite element model. By comparing the results between the FEM and experiments, it was possible to build a realistic model, which allowed adjusting the process in short time in order to make the final product meet all the required geometrical specifics and pass the electrical tests.

Abstract: The objective of this paper is the investigation of the implemented pressure dependent friction model in the FE simulation program AutoForm. Since the values for the required parameters of this approach are not defined in the actual FE simulation program, this paper contributes to a first definition of these parameters. Therefore, experimental investigations with the cup drawing tests are carried out. With the support of the experimental results regarding the maximum stamping force, the model is calibrated and subsequently validated by the comparison of the sheet thicknesses of the experimental and numerical investigations. The results of this validation reveal a good accordance of simulation and reality in nearly all areas. However there are also areas in which the prediction accuracy decreases in comparison to the basic simulation. Therefore, additional investigations have to be carried out which concentrate on the modification of this pressure dependent approach towards a better universal prediction accuracy of the simulation.

Abstract: Due to their high strength (tensile strength > 1GPa) in combination with an extreme ductility (failure strain 30-50%) TWinning Induced Plasticity–steels (TWIP-steels) can be considered as promising materials for the production of lightweight automotive components. The industrial application of TWIP-steels requires a fundamental experimental validation of the mechanical behavior as basis for an user-friendly but at the same time accurate constitutive framework and its implementation into commercial Finite Element codes. Related investigations and implementations in order to allow for the simulation of TWIP-steel forming processes are currently conducted within the research project “TWIP4EU”, executed as a cooperation of Fraunhofer - Institut für Werkstoffmechanik IWM in Freiburg (Germany), Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung GmbH (Germany), Swerea KIMAB (Sweden), Faurecia Autositze GmbH (Germany / France), DYNAmore GmbH (Germany) and ESI GmbH Engineering System (Germany / France).The monotonic one-dimensional hardening behavior of TWIP-steels as a function of the twin volume fraction and dislocation density has been described by Bouaziz et al. (2008), Bouaziz et al. (2011). This model has been proven to be adequate for the description of the flow behavior of TWIP-steels and serves as basis for the constitutive model, presented here. This Bouaziz-model has been extended to a three-dimensional elasto-plastic formulation, including the influence of different loading conditions, anisotropy and kinematic hardening. The present paper deals with the implementation for solids and shells in the commercial Finite Element Code LS-DYNA^® and appropriate validation simulations will be presented.

Abstract: Within this paper a numerical study of the Continuum Damage Mechanics based damage model Lemaitre in commercial software LS-DYNA is performed in order to correctly predict failure in terms of crack occurrence within small curvature bending of AHSS steels. A strain based calibration method is used for the effective adaption of the Lemaitre model to the bending operation, which is based on the comparison and adaption of the numerically calculated and the experimentally measured deformation field on the outer surface of the bent specimen. Within this method the material dependent damage parameter S is systematically varied in the simulation in order to represent maximum major strain. The new method is proved by numerical simulation of experiments provoking crack initiation using smaller bending radii. It can be shown that failure in terms of crack initiation can be correctly predicted by the model with the damage parameters, which were determined by the method of strain based calibration and an additional optimisation of the parameter D_c. Thus, within this study a user friendly and effective way for the application of Lemaitre damage model to small curvature bending processes of AHSS steels is developed.

Abstract: Advanced high strength steels are still one of the best alternatives for light weight design in the automotive industry. Due to their good performances like high strength and high energy absorption, those steel grades are excellent for body in white components. Because of their restricted ductility, which sometimes leads to the formation of cracks without or low necking during forming operations, conventional forming limit diagrams may fall short. As a remedy, an enhanced variant of the Lemaitre continuum mechanical damage model (CDM) is presented in this work.Previous model extensions of the Lemaitre model improved the damage prediction for the shear and compression dominated stress states by introducing an additional weighting factor for the influence of compression on damage evolution, the so called crack closure parameter h. However, the possible range of the fracture behavior predicted by such models for low and negative stress triaxialities is limited. In this work, the Lemaitre CDM has been enhanced by considering the maximal shear stress to predict the fracture occurrence under shear. Previous models for the effect of void closure on damage evolution are reviewed and a novel model enhancement taking into account the maximal shear stresses is described. The determination of the damage model parameters is presented for a dual phase steel. For this particular material, the response of model enhancement on the failure prediction is discussed for a test part.

Abstract: Hydroforming has been used widely across many industrial fields. Large applied pressure during hydroforming makes it necessary to consider the influence of normal stress in the thickness direction, while in FE simulation, the use of traditional shell element based upon plane-stress assumption is not appropriate in such cases. Here, the traditional shell element is modified by changing the constitutive relation which took into account the normal stress in the thickness direction, and the modified shell element formula is combined with Yld91 yield function to simulate the forming process of Aluminium alloy. Then the element formulation and material model is implemented into the FE code Ls-Dyna by means of USER interface. Two examples are carried out and good correlations are obtained when compared to the traditional shell element and solid element.

Abstract: Modern car-bodies consist of different types of metals in order to gain the best crash performance at minimal weight. After the press and body shop, the bodies in white run through several paint drying processes, where also alloys of the 6xxx series become heat-treated. Consequently, the different thermal expansion behaviour of joined aluminium-steel components leads to high bending stress conditions within the car body structure while they heat up to 200 °C. In order to describe the process deformations numerical simulations were developed, where appropriate material models are necessary. Especially aluminium alloys with a melting point of about 600 °C can exhibit viscoplastic behaviour at 200 °C under stress. In this work, creep characteristics of the aluminium alloy AA6016 are investigated using a bending test. Based on these results an adequate model for finite element (FE-) simulations of creep strains is pointed out, which can be used for novel analyses of the whole car body in the automotive e-coat drying process.

Abstract: In this paper, a critical analysis of the technical difficulties and numerical issues in running simulations of linear friction welding processes is carried out. The focus of the paper is the comparison of different modeling strategies of a numerical analysis for the LFW process of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy, for which the thermal aspect strongly influences the mechanical behavior due to the phase transformation, taking place over a definite range of temperature. A 3D simulation campaign, conducted using the FEA code DEFORMTM, was considered in order to show advantages and disadvantages of each approach, including the most critic limitations and complexity in a correct simulation design using two deformable objects.

Abstract: Due to the extensive use of thin sheet metals to reduce weight of car bodies, wrinkling is becoming a more common and one of the most undesirable defects in sheet metal forming processes. Recent experiments at the Institute for Metal Forming Technology (IFU), University of Stuttgart, indicated that the buckling test using modified specimens can enhance accuracy for the predication of wrinkling [1]. In this paper a new method to predict the onset of the wrinkling will be introduced, and results of this test will be compared with real deep drawing parts. The wrinkle heights will be considered an evaluated regarding to results obtained by an optical measurement system.

Abstract: Global competition as well as social and scientific megatrends strongly influence the modern car manufacturing industry. One of the most important approaches is the implementation of lightweight constructions. Therefore, the usage of high performance materials with tailored properties gains importance. For safety-relevant components such as automotive passenger cells it is necessary to minimize deformation to reduce the risk of injury for the vehicle occupants during a car accident. Thus, hot stamped high-strength steels have been established. High-strength and low formability of this kind of materials represent new challenges for joining technologies. One possibility to join high-strength steels is the newly developed shear-clinching technology. Due to the use of a combined cutting and joining process, the connection of dissimilar materials with high difference in strength and formability can be achieved. Further research to ensure process reliability and to improve the strength of the joint is required. One possible approach for this is the numerical investigation of the material flow during the joining process. Therefore, the definition of process parameters for the finite element model is necessary. A big impact on the quality of the results has the accuracy of the used friction values. As established testing methods are not suitable for modeling the rather complex tribological system between the joining partners of the shear-clinching process, an innovative testing method is needed. Studies in the field of sheet-bulk metal forming already demonstrated the applicability of the ring compression test for sheet metals. This paper presents a concept for the adaption of the ring compression test to the specific needs of the investigated shear-clinching process. The numerical identification of the friction coefficients is validated by experimental data and first results are qualified by experimental and simulative shear-clinching joints.