SLIP-LINE FIELD THEORY

SEMESTRAL PROJECT

Course: Metal Forming

Student: John Oziegbe

Personal Number: OZI0006

Date: 4th May 2022

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 3

ASSUMPTIONS FOR METAL .......................................................................................... 4

WHEN THE THEORY CANNOT BE USED ................................................................... 4

PLANE PLASTIC STRAIN ............................................................................................... 5

STATE OF STRESS ......................................................................................................... 10

MOHR’S CIRCLE DIAGRAM FOR STRESS IN PLANE PLASTIC STRAIN ............. 10

DIRECTIONS OF MAXIMUM SHEAR STRAIN-RATE .............................................. 11

SLIP LINES ...................................................................................................................... 12

THE STRESS EQUATIONS ........................................................................................... 13

RELATIONS GOVERNING HYDROSTATIC STRESS ALONG SLIP-LINES

(Hencky equations)...................................................................................................... 14

THE VELOCITY FIELD (GEIRINGER EQUATIONS) ................................................ 15

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 18
INTRODUCTION

Slip-line field theory is used to model plastic deformation in plane strain only
for a solid that can be represented as a rigid-plastic body. Elasticity is not
included and the loading has to be quasi-static.

Slip-line field theory is based on analysis of a deformation field that is both

geometrically self-consistent and statically admissible. Slip lines: planes of
maximum shear stress; oriented at 45° to the axes of principal stress.4

This method has been recently largely superseded by finite element method,
but this theory can provide analytical solutions to a number of metal forming
processes, and utilizes plots showing the directions of maximum shear stress
in a rigid-plastic body which is deforming plastically in plane strain.

z
z zx 2  x z 
ASSUMPTIONS FOR METAL
Besides the usual assumptions that the metal is isotropic and homogeneous,
the common approach to this subject usually involves the following:

 The metal is rigid-perfectly plastic; this implies the neglect of elastic strains
and treats the flow stress as a constant,
 Deformation is by plane strain,
 Possible effects of temperature, strain rate, and time are not considered,
 There is a constant shear stress at the interfacial boundary. Usually, either
a frictionless condition or sticking friction is assumed.

(3)

z
z
WHEN THE THEORY CANNOT BE USED
zx 2  x z 
The principal ways in which slip-line field theory fails to take account of the
behavior of real materials are:
 It deals only with non-strain-hardening materials. Whilst strain-hardening
can be allowed for in calculations concerned with loads in an approximate
way, the manner in which strain distribution is altered because of it is not
always clear
 There is no allowance for creep or strain-rate effects. The rate of
deformation at each given point in space and in the deforming body is
generally different, and any effect this may have on the yield stress is
ignored.
 All inertia forces are neglected and the problems treated as quasi- static
(series of static states),

 In the forming operations which impose heavy deformations, most of the

work done is dissipated as heat; the temperatures attained may affect the
material properties of the body or certain physical characteristics in the
surroundings, e.g. lubrication

Despite these shortcomings, the theory is extremely useful; it is however very

important to remember its limitations and not to expect too high a degree of
correlation between experimental and theoretical work.

PLANE PLASTIC STRAIN

Deformation which proceeds under conditions of plane strain is such that the
flow or deformation is everywhere parallel to a given plane, say the (x, y) plane
in a system of three mutually orthogonal planes and the flow is independent
of z.

Since elastic strains are neglected, the plastic strain increments (or strain-
rates) may be written in terms of the displacements (or velocities)
ux(x, y), vy(x, y), wz = 0, as below

z
z zx 2  x z 
STATE OF STRESS

It follows from the Levy-Mises relation that τxz and τyz are zero and therefore
that σz is a principal stress. The stress tensor will be: Levy-Mises relationship
between stress and strain for an ideal plastic solid where the elastic strain are
negligible

Because the material is incompressible έ = - έ and each incremental

x y
distortion is thus a pure shear. The state of stress throughout the deforming
material is represented by a constant yield shear stress k, and a hydrostatic
stress -p which in general varies from point to point throughout the material.
k is the yield shear stress in plane strain and the yield criterion for this
condition is:

MOHR’S CIRCLE DIAGRAM FOR STRESS IN PLANE PLASTIC STRAIN

The state of stress at any point in the deforming material may be represented
in the Mohr circle diagram
A and B represent the stress states (- p, ± k) at a point on planes parallel to
the slip- lines through that point.
p can vary, but k is a material constant.

DIRECTIONS OF MAXIMUM SHEAR STRAIN-RATE

The earlier analysis of plane strain plasticity in a simple case of uniaxial

compression established the basis of slip line field theory, which enables the
directions of plastic flow to be mapped out in plane strain plasticity problems.

There will always be two perpendicular directions of maximum shear stress in

a plane. These generate two orthogonal families of slip lines called α-lines and
β-lines. (Labeling convention for α and β lines.) The stresses on a small
curvilinear element bounded by slip-lines are shown below:
 (3)

Therefore, the directions of maximum shear stress and the directions of the
principal stresses σ1 and σ2 can vary along a slip line.

SLIP LINES

In order to determine the load necessary for a particular plastic forming

operation, first of all the slip-line field patterns must be obtained. This means
that equations for the variation of p along both α- and β-lines must be
derived. Also, we must check that all velocity conditions along α- and β-lines
are satisfied.
THE STRESS EQUATIONS
The equations of equilibrium for plane strain are,

(3)

The above stress components σx, σy and τxy expressed in terms of p and k
are

(4)

p is the normal or hydrostatic pressure on the two planes of yield shear stress.

Differentiating and substituting from equation (4) in equation (3) we have:

(5)

If now the α- and β-lines are taken to coincide with 0x and 0y at 0, that we
take ø = 0, equations (5) become:

(6)
Thus, integrating

(7)

If the hydrostatic stress p can be determined at any one point on a slip- line
(for example at a boundary), it can be deduced everywhere else.
Thus

(8)

RELATIONS GOVERNING HYDROSTATIC STRESS ALONG SLIP-LINES (Hencky

equations)
The equations (8) are known as the Hencky equations and are equivalent to
the equilibrium equations for a fully plastic mass stressed in plane strain.

In general, the values of the constants C1 and C2 from equation (7) vary
from one slip-line to another.
THE VELOCITY FIELD (GEIRINGER EQUATIONS)

In figure shown below u and v are the component velocities of a particle at a

point O along a pair of α- and β-slip-lines the α-line being inclined at ø to the
Ox axis of a pair of orthogonal cartesian axes through O.

The components of the velocity of the particle ux and vy parallel to Ox and Oy,
respectively, are then


(9)

Taking the x-direction at point 0 tangential to the α-line, i.e. ø = 0.

(10)
Since εx = ∂ux/∂x is zero along a slip-line

(11)

Similarly it can be shown that

(12)

Physically, it may be imagined that small rods lying on the slip-line directions
at a point do not undergo extension or contraction.

Application of the Hencky relations: indentation of a material by a flat,

frictionless, punch:

45°

L' L

In the above diagram there are free surfaces at M and M’. At both of
these positions yielding will have just occurred.

There 1s no stress perpendicular to the free surfaces at M and M’. It follows

that the slip lines must make angles of 45° to the fire surfaces here and that
the single (uniaxial) stress at both M and M’ must be parallel to the surface.

At K, the direction of maximum compressive stress σ2 is parallel to the y-axis.

At M and M’ the direction of maximum compressive stress is parallel to the x-
𝑥
axis. Thus, the angle turned through in radians between K and M is 2: this has
to be the same as the angle turned through in radians between K and M’.

Using the Hencky relations.

Hence,
REFERENCES

[1] Johnson, W., Mellor, P. B., Engineering Plasticity, Ellis Hordwood Limited,
1983
[2] Hosford, W. F ., Metal forming: mechanics and metallurgy 2nd ed . -
Englewood Cliffs, N.J : Prentice Hall, 1993
[3] www.DoITPoMS.ac.uk, University of Cambridge

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