International Journal of Modern Manufacturing Technologies

ISSN 2067–3604, Vol. IV, No. 2 / 2012 9

NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF SHEET THICKNESS

VARIATION IN DEEP DRAWING PROCESSES

Tahir Altinbalik, Aysun Tonka

1
“Trakya University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Mechanical Engineering Department, Campus of Prof. Dr.
Ahmet KARADENİZ, 22180, Edirne, Turkey

Corresponding author: Tahir Altınbalık, [email protected]

Abstract: In the present work, an attempt is made to obtain workpiece interface, the mechanics of plastic
FEM solution of sheet thickness variation and its deformation, the equipment used and the control of
experimental verification in deep drawing processes. A metal flow (Moshksar, 1997). When the drawing
commercial steel sheet was chosen as a test material which process continuous, sheet-metal components are
in widespread used in automotive and kitchenware
essential to control the flow of metal between the die
industry. Firstly, the forming limit tests were performed to
construct the FLD. Then, different blank holder forces
and the blank holder in order to prevent the
applied with gas springs and double-acting press was occurrence of failures such as tears and wrinkles in
created by using them. FEM simulations were carried out a the drawn part. While insufcient metal flow makes
commercial software programme called AUTOFORM. A tears or splits.
wrinkles in theExcessive metal
part either. flow is of
Prediction going
the to cause
forming
good agreement was found between the measured and the
predicted values of the thickness variations. results, for example determination of the punching
Key words: Deep Drawing, FLD, FEM, AUTOFORM. force, blank holder forces and the thickness
distribution of the sheet metal will decrease the cost
1. INTRODUCTION of production and time be formed. The blank holder
is an important factor for controling the metal flow
Sheet metal forming is a technique by which most with predefined blank holder force (BHF). When the
body parts are produced in automobile industries. In BHF is too low or too high, there are some situations
sheet metal forming, a thin blank sheet is subjected to likely to occur. Such as when the BHF is too low
plastic deformation using forming tools to confirm to wrinkle can be seen or when the BHF is too high
a designed shape. During the process, the blank sheet fracture can be seen. It seems that wrinkle is the main
is likely to develop defects if the process parameters factor pf restrictive for forming when the BHF is too
are not selected properly. Therefore, it is important to low. Furthermore when the BHF is too high it seems
optimize the process parameters to avoid defects in that fracture is the main factor of restrictive for
the parts and to minimize production cost. forming, either.
Optimization of the process parameters for instance There have been many attempts (Zeng and
die radius, blank holder force, coefficient of friction, Mahdavian, 1998; Wang and Cao, 2000) to obtain the
etc. can concluded according to their degree of minimum blank holding pressure that prevents
importance on the sheet metal forming characteristic. wrinkling. Yu and Johnson (1982) studied the effect
Deep drawing is one of the major industrial sheet of blank holder pressure on the buckling behavior of
metal forming processes. It is used to manufacture a the flange. Agrawal (2007) studied to predict the
variety of products such as pans food containers, minimum blank holding pressure required to avoid
kitchen sinks and automotive fuel tanks are wrinkling in the flange region during deep drawing
manufactured by means of the deep drawing process. process. The influence of drawing temperature and
In this process, a round sheet-metal blank is firstly blank holder force (BHF) on sheet formability was
positioned over a circular die and is held in place investigated by Chang et al (2007). Padmanabhan et
through the instrumentality of a blankholder during al (2007) aimed to determination of the effect of these
forming to prevent wrinkling of the blank during the three important process parameters, namely blank
process. After that a circular punch moves downward holder force, die radius and friction coefficient, on
and forces the sheet-metal blank into the die cavity so the thickness variation of the part. Last three decades,
as to a cup is latest formed. The resulting hollow the numerical simulation techniques have found so
component has a wall thickness nominally the same important solutions in studying for many of scientific
as the blank. The design and control of a deep problems and engineering processes including metal
drawing process depends not only on the workpiece forming operations as well with extensive progreses
material, but also on the condition of the tool- in hardware and software. Many researchers studied
10
the deep drawing process by means of the finite- were employed to estimate the required drawing force
element (FE) method. Triantafyllidis and Needleman by Saniee and Monazeran (2003). In their study, the
(1980) investigated the effect of blank holder numerical simulations were conducted using the
stiffness on wrinkling behavior using elasto-plastic finite-element (FE) method. In these simulations, the
FEA. Shulkin et al (2000) designed and built an effects of the element type on the forming load and
eight-point BHF control system with a flexible blank the variation of thickness strain were studied.
holder as a part of an experimental viscous pressure Padmanabhan (2007) aimed to determination of the
forming (VPF) machine. FEM simulations of effect of three important process parameters, namely
hydroforming with a multi-point BHF control and an blank holder force, die radius and friction coefficient,
elastic blank holder were conducted to fine-tune the on the thickness variation of the part. The influences
control system as well as to predict the forming loads. of the BHF on wall thickness during deep drawing of
Sheng et al(2004) aimed to determine a feasible BHF the aluminum alloy sheet material has been
profile in a single FEM simulation. He selected two investigated through FEM simulation setup and the
conical cup geometries to verify the proposed experiments by Demirci et al (2008). Based on the
adaptive simulation method. Qun et al (2007) Demirci’s study the distribution of wall thicknesses
proposed a new strategy to optimize the variable obtained by means of experiments and FEM showed
blank holder force (BHF) and determine the drawing a good agreement.
limit under the constant and variable BHF by using In this research, DIN EN 10130-99 (IF) steel sheet
FEM. The effect of controlling blank holder motion with low carbon and high quality formability and a
by a newly proposed algorithm on deep-drawability thickness of 1 mm. has been used as a test material
was investigated by Yagami et al (2007) for a circular for axisymmetric deep drawing process. Previously
cup deep- drawing process of a thin sheet metal. determined three different blank holder forces applied
Finite element (FE) simulations of the deep drawing to blank holder with gas springs and single-acting
process were also conducted to investigate the effect press was used instead of double-acting press. In this
of the method on fracture damage reduction. Savas study, blank holder force how to effect the cup
and Secgin (2007) aimed to increase deep drawing thinning was researched and it was simulated with a
ratio and to decrease blank holder forces. For this commercial software program called AUTOFORM.
purpose they prepared five kinds of blank holder and Thinning of the values obtained from experimental
die shapes by giving an angle to die and blank holder. results were compared with the result of simulation.
ABAQUS software has been used by Kumar (2007)
to simulate the deep drawing of circular blanks into 2. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
axisymmetric cylindrical cups. An acceptable range
of blank holding force and the tearing zone were 2.1. Material
identified with the help of the numerical simulation As explained above, DIN EN 10130-99(IF) (Turkish
for high strength stainless steel SS304. He also grade ERDEMIR 7116) was chosen as test material
suggested a range of safe blank holding force as 20- for good deep drawing formability. This material can
80kN for drawing defect free cylindrical cups. be used in automotive industry, white goods,
On the other hand, thickness distribution is one of the kitchenware, radiator and air-condition equipments
quality criteria in sheet metal formed parts. The and durable consumer goods. Also it can be used
thickness is unequal distributed in the part after deep when toughness, ductility and strength requested.
drawing. Usually, the thickness is uniform at the Mechanical properties obtained from uniaxial tension
bottom of the punch, minimum at the punch radius test which performed on the INSTRON 8501
and vertical surface and more at the flange area. The Universal Test Machine and chemical composition of
occurrence of thickness variation may cause stress material is shown in Table 1 and Table 2
concentration to acceleration of damage mechanism respectively.
in the leading part. So, failure in deep drawn parts
usually occurs by thinning, therefore, it is important Table 1. Results obtained from the tensile test applied to
to determine the variation of thickness. Yossifon and samples
Tirosh (1991) carried out a comprehensive Yield Tensile
Fracture
Material Strength Strength
experimental and analytical investigation on the (MPa) (MPa)
Elongation (%)
behavior of the sheet blank materials, the properties
investigated including strain hardening and DIN EN
10130-99 164 290 44
anisotropy, the effect of friction and changes in metal
sheet thickness. Hu et al (1998) predicted the Table 2. Chemical composition of IF in wt%
thickness variations by the simulations along the Material C P S Mn Ti
circumferential and radial directions by using in an DIN EN
≤ 0.04 ≤ 0.012 ≤ 0.009 ≤ 0.2 ≤ 0.1
10130-99
commercial elastoplastic finite element code named
ABAQUS. Different methods of analysis such as
analytical, numerical and experimental techniques
 11
2.2. Determination the Formability of Sheet Metal Zimniak, 2000; Butuc, 2003 and Kim, 2011).
As it is known the formability of sheet metals is In the presented study, in addition to basic
limited by localized necking or non-uniform strains mechanical properties, the forming limit tests were
that may occur within a small region in the plane of also performed to construct the forming limit
the sheet. The amount of strain that a sheet metal can diagram. To this end, the program, it’s called
tolerate just before localized necking is called limit ARAMIS-v.6.2.0-3 was used. The sheet metal was
strain. On this basis, forming limit diagrams (FLD) cut as different width and specific sizes and it has
which has been a widely accepted criterion for created a scholastic distribution so that deformation
fracture prediction in the sheet metal forming could be measured optically. To determine the FLD,
represent limiting major and minor available stretching test were carried out for sheet specimens
principal strains in the plane of the deformed sheet with using a semi-sepherical punch. Forming limit
that can be achieved. According to literature diagrams were obtained with 10 different circle
(Moshksar and Mansorzadeh, 2003) FLD were sample, which has different width, strain and stress,
introduced by Keeler and Goodwin in 1960. Different shown in Fig.1. The final report was taken any stage
factors such as strain hardening exponent, anisotropy of the program and is seen on the Fig.2. As known, in
constant, tool geometry, friction effect, strain rate the FLD, the higher the forming limit curve the beter
sensitivity, grain size influence the FLD’s is the formability. As seen in Fig.3. the specimens
(Stachowicz, 1989). A number of researhers represent quite higher curve and this means that the
investigated and detailed for the determination of the material used the presented study is not easy to
FLD’s by means of different parameters and some of fracture and has good formability.
them supported with FE analysis (Brunet, 1998;

Fig.1. Deformed shapes of arc-shaped specimens obtained from the punch-stretch test.

Fig.2. Final report of an any stage of the experiments

12

Fig.3. Static FLD’s of steel sheets contructed on the basis of static punch-stretch test.

2.3. Equipment and Tool Set-up equations and graphs were used. Correspondingly,
Deep drawing experiments were carried out on a 125 when 30 mm stroke was used 17 kN, 10 mm stroke
metric ton capacity hydraulic press. Experimental set- was used 12,5 kN blank holder forces were obtained.
up is shown in Figure 4a-4d. The punch has an outer Three different blank holder forces were chosen in
diameter of 57.5 mm whilist the die ring has an outer these tests. Total height was reached in 8 steps, when
diameter of 115 mm, an inner diameter of 59.7 mm different blank holder forces used for every 5 mm
and 40 mm in height. So upper limit of drawing stroke. There was no automatic stroke adjustment
ratio’s was reached as 2.0. The die entrance radius unit in that pres, which the tests were done. That’s
was machined as 12 mm. Deep drawing force was why 7 distance circular parts were used which having
calculated as 52 kN and blank holder force was 5 mm thick. The circular part were used to obtain
calculated as 15.5 kN (Tonka, 2009). When the draw parts in the with different depth, between 5-40 mm.
ratio is higher, punch force and stresses increases. Three-dimensional measuring device used for
That’s why the max draw ratio is chosen in order to measurement and thickness variation was measured
identify max thinning rates. Blanks were cut as from eight different points.
diameter 115mm.
Thiruvarudchelvan et al (1999) explained in details 2.4. Autoform Solution
that, in recent years three methods of applying the Numerical simulations and solid modeling programs
blankholding force in an inherently automatic manner are used commonly recently, to find optimum die
in deep drawing have been introduced, developed and surface before manufacturing to reduce of cost. One
investigated experimentally and theoretically These of those is Autoform which was used in this study. It
are; 1) Friction-actuated blank holding, 2) The reduces the number of training for die testing and
method using a short-stroke device, in which surface. This program based on practical experience,
applicable to the common deep drawing of cylindrical industrial knowledge and expertise in sheet metal
cups at draw ratios of about 2.0 and, 3) The blank- forming. It can find different solution for every step
holding force being generated as in 2 before, but in the process to analyze and optimize. It is integrated
differing in that the hydraulic pressure also augments and complete solution also has special functions for
the drawing process, thereby enabling larger drawing them. Thickness, % thinning, wrinkling can be
ratios of about 3.5. In this study a single-acting press showed, as well as, it can be used to take loads on the
was used but with gas springs, was created a double- die elements, such as punch and forces.
acting press effect. When the gas springs were In this study, when autoform simulation program is
jammed in different stroke the force was increasing running, part and die elements position and stroke,

on the location,
springs where
were used in the
thisgasdeep-drawn,
springs pressing.
they 4were
gas the frictionwith
elements coefficient between
specific sheet and die,
characteristics, finite
material
called HR700-63. In this die-set, blank holder force characteristics and unfold contour were entered as
obtained blank pressing force from these gas springs input values. Elasticity modules, poisson ratio,
and Boyle- Mariotte principle was used to find this specific gravity, the values of anisotropy coefficients
blank pressing force (Tonka 2009). Firstly, gas were entered as material data. In this way deep
springs were worked at 45 mm stroke. Total blank drawing force and values of wall thinning were
holder force was calculated 23 kN, when the relevant obtained.
 13

b)
a)

c) d)
Fig. 4. Deep drawing experimental rig a) Schematic representation of tools b)Tooling assembly c)Lower die with blank
before the drawing d) After deep drawing.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION forces. To measure the thickness changes after the
deep drawing experiments an optical micrometer was
In the presented study, the thickness variations of IF used and thicknesses were measured in 5 mm ranges.
steel in deep drawing process was investigated as Fig. 5 shows the points along the cup wall at which
theoretically and experimentally in limit drawing measurements were taken for thickness.
ratio of 2.0 and with three different blank holder

Fig.5. Schematic representation of thickness measurement line

The thickness
simulation and variations predicted
obtained from by the Autoform
experiments for a cup depth and ofthecup.
deep part rateAs
of known
thinning increased
during deep %4 on the
drawing of
drawn to a depth of 40 mm and a blankholder force of cups wall thinning occurs at the bottom of the cup
12.5 kN are shown in Fig.6a and6b as comparable. and thickening occurs near the top of the cup section
As shown in the figures, there is a decrease in and at the flange. However there was no thickness
thickness from the top to bottom for 10 mm drawn variation observed top of the cup section and at the
depth and the thickness variation is only 2%. From flange against the other studies. Autoform program
this point on the thickness was fixed until 30 mm gaves thickness increase on the first 5 mm. The
14
thickness decrease showed %6 on the mid of the part thickness is 5% greater for the predicted values for
and %7 on the deep of the part. The average value for 12.5 kN blankholder force.

a)

b)
Fig. 6. a) Autoform solution of wall thinning values for BHF=12.5 kN
b) Drawn cup and comparable thickness distribution of the cup wall for BHF=12.5 kN

The results of the experiment and Autoform solution thickness increase was shown as %4 but after on the
are shown in Fig. 7a and 7b for 17 KN blank holder mid of part the thickness decrease was shown as %7
force. In the tests the thickness decrease reached until and on the deep of part was as %6. Values of wall
%8 for the first 10 mm but the value shown as %4 on thining in Autoform are more than measurements.
the mid of part and as %2 on the deep of the part. On The difference is max around %4.
the other hand, according to Autoform result, the

a)
 15

b)
Fig. 7. a) Autoform solution of wall thinning values for BHF=17 kN
b) Drawn cup and comparable thickness distribution of the cup wall for BHF=17 kN

Results obtained from Autoform and measured from deep of the part is fixed, %4. Autoform gave more
experiments for 23kN blankholder force are shown in than these values and the difference is about %3. So,
Fig.8a and 8b. In these tests, in the depth of first 10 it can be said that Autoform can be used safely such
mm, thickness dicrease is %9, then between mid and operations.

a)

b)
Fig. 8. a) Autoform solution of wall thinning values for BHF=23 kN
b) Drawn cup and comparable thickness distribution of the cup wall for BHF=23 kN

That’s why for the present die set Autoform was used occurred.200 kN was obtained and presented in Fig.9.

to obtain the max. blank holder force which tearing

16

Fig. 9. Determination of max. BHF by using the AUTOFORM

Acknowledgement 187-91.
13. Savas, V., Secgin, O., (2007). A new type of deep drawing
die design and experimental results , Mat&Des., 28, 1330-33.
The authors are grateful to the Technical University
14. Kumar, L., Omkumar, M., Kumar, V., Viswanathan, D.,
of Liberec and Mr. Jiri Sobotka for the FLD tests. Natarajan, S., (2007). Finite element analysis and
experimental validation of deep drawing process, J.of
4. REFERENCES Mat.Pro.Tech., DOI.10.1016.11.53.
15. Yossifon, S., Sweeney, K., Ahmetoglu, M., Altan, T.,
1. Moshksar, M.M., Zamanian, A., (1997). Optimization of (1992). On the acceptable blank-holder force range in the
the tool geometry in the deep drawing of aluminium , J.of deep-drawing process, J.of Mat.Pro.Tech., 33, 175-94.
Mat.Pro.Tech., 72, 363-70. 16. Hu, J.G., Jonas, J.J., Ishikawa, T., (1998). FEM simulation
2. Zeng, X.M., Mahdavian, S.M., (1998). Critical conditions of the forming of textured aluminium sheet, Mat. Sci&Eng.
of wrinkling in deep drawing at elevated temperature, J.of A256, 51-9.
Mat.Pro.Tech., 84(1-3), 38-46. 17. Saniee, F.F., Montazeran, M.H., (2003). A comparative
3. Wang, X., Cao, J., (2000). An analytical prediction of estimation of the forming load in the deep drawing process ,
flange wrinkling in sheet metal forming, J.of Manu. Proc., J.of Mat.Pro.Tech., 140, 555-61.
2(2), 100-7. 18. Demirci, H.İ., Esner, C., Yasar, M., (2008). Effect of the
4. Yu, T.X., Johnson, W., (1982). The buckling of annular blank holder force on drawing of aluminum alloy square cup:
plates in relation to deep drawing process, Int. J. Mech. Sci., Theoretical and experimental investigation, J.of
24(3), 175-88. Mat.Pro.Tech., 206, 152-60.
5. Agrawal, A., Reddy, N.V., Dixit, P.M., (2007). 19. Moshksar, M.M., Mansorzadeh, S., (2003). Determination
Determination of optimum process parameters for wrinkle of the forming limit diagram for A3105 sheet , J.of
free products in deep drawing process, J.of Mat.Pro.Tech., Mat.Pro.Tech., 141, 138-42.
191, 51-4. 20. Stachowicz, F., (1989). Effects of microstructure on the
6. Chang, Q.F., Li, D., Peng, Y.H., Zeng, X.Q., (2007).
Experimental and numerical study of warm deep drawing of mechanical
biaxial properties
stretching andWork.Tech.,
, J. Mech. limit strains
19, in uniaxial and
305-17.
AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet, Int. J.of Mac.Tools and Man., 21. Brunet, M., Mguil, S., Morestin, F., (1998). Analytical and
47, 436-43. experimental studies of necking in sheet metal forming
7. Padmanabhan, R., Oliveira, M.C., Alves, J.L., Menezes, processes, J.of Mat.Pro.Tech., 80-81, 40-6.
L.F., (2007). Influence of process parameters on deep 22. Zimniak, Z., (2000). Implementation of the forming limit
drawing of stainless steel , Finite Elements in Analysis and stress diagram in FEM simulations, J.of Mat.Pro.Tech., 106,
Design, 43, 1062-67. 261-66.
8. Triantafyllidis, N., Needleman, A., (1980). An analysis of 23. Butuc, M.C., Rocha, A.B., Gracio, J.J., Duarte, J.F.,
wrinkling in the swift cup test , ASME J. Eng.Mater.Tech., (2003). A theoretical study on forming limit diagrams
102, 241-48. prediction, J.of Mat.Pro.Tech., 142(3), 714-24.
9. Shulkin, L., Posteraro, R., Ahmetoglu, M.A., Kinzel, G.L., 24. Kim, S.B., Huh, H., Bok, H.H., Moon, M.B., (2011).
Altan, T., (2000), Blank holder force (BHF) control in viscous Forming limit diagram of auto-body steel sheets for high-
pressure forming (VPF) of sheet metal, J.of Mat.Pro.Tech., speed sheet metal forming, J.of Mat.Pro.Tech., 211(5), 851-
98, 7-16. 62.
10. Sheng, Z.Q., Jirathearanat, S., Altan, T., (2004). Adaptive 25. Tonka, A., (2010). Silindirik kapların derin çekilmesinde
FEM simulation for prediction of variable blankholder force
baskı ı ş
in conical cup drawing , Int. J.of Mac. Tools and Man., 44, karşılaştplakas kuvvetlerinin
ırmalı analizi kulakla
, PhD. Thesis, Trakyamaya etkilerinin
University.
487-94. 26. Thiruvarudchelvan, S., Travis, F.W., Poh, T.K., (1999).
11. Qun-Feng, C., DaYong, L., Ying-Hong, P., Xiao-Qin, Z., On the deep drawing of cups with punch and blank-holding
(2007). Experimental and numerical study of warm deep forces propotional to a hydraulic pressure, J.of
drawing of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet, Int. J.of Mac. Tools Mat.Pro.Tech., 92-93, 375-80.
and Man., 47(3-4), 436-43.
Received: April 16, 2012 / Accepted: December 5, 2012 /
12. Yagami, T., Manabe, K., Yamauchi, Y., (2007). Effect of
alternating blank holder motion of drawing and wrinkle Paper available online: December 8, 2012 © International
elimination on deep-drawability, J.of Mat.Pro.Tech., 187-188, Journal of Modern Manufacturing Technologies.