The Practical Use of Simulation in the Sheet Metal Forming Industry

Much of the attention on simulation software in recent years has been focused on the modelling of bulk metal forming processes such as forging, rolling and extrusion. However, there are numerous applications for the simulation of sheet forming processes and indeed many pressings suppliers in the automotive industry are more advanced in the use of simulation than their forging counterparts. The type of software most suitable for sheet metal forming depends very much on the activities of the company and even the department. For example, at the part design or sales quotation stage, a quick ‘OneStep’ simulation can be run in minutes that ‘unfolds’ the part geometry to predict potential forming problems such as tearing, wrinkling and insufficient strain. Alternatively, toolmakers and stamping departments developing tooling concepts require a detailed incremental simulation where the various processes involved in the press (e.g. closing of tools, drawing, trimming and flanging) can be modelled accurately. Furthermore, there is an increasing need for tooling geometry to be created more quickly than by traditional CAD systems. Software developers have responded by offering rapid die face generation and morphing facilities within the simulation environment. If these issues are combined with the fact that many sheet forming-type processes such as piercing, bending and fastener clamping are best modelled using bulk metal forming software, the choice of software faced by the sheet metal former considering simulation can become very confusing. This paper aims to clarify the types of software available for sheet forming simulation and detail a number of industrial applications. Furthermore, recent developments in simulation, including the growing use of optimisation methods to automatically design tooling, will be discussed.