A computer-aided engineering system for process design in sheet metal forming

Deep drawing and stretch forming are two manufacturing techniques which are widely used in automotive, aircraft, and appliances industries. Die design for these processes are still an art than a science, and they are usually designed based on experience using conventional trial-and-error technique which is time consuming and expensive. A computerized technique for process design in sheet metal forming was developed based on process simulation and failure prediction. The effects of process parameters on the stresses, strains, and failure formation (wrinkling, thinning, fracture) were studied. The predictions were tested by conducting experiments in the ERC/NSM press and Minster press. The techniques developed in this study can be used at the design stage to reduce the number of trial-and-error steps involved in the conventional die design method.