Design And Validation Of Multi-point Forming Parametric Analysis Platform Based On ABAQUS

Force-displacement-separated-control multi-point forming(FDSC MPF) is a new multi-point forming(MPF)technology. In this technology, displacement is controlled by the upper punches and force is controlled by the lower punches,displacement-time curves and force-time curves are different when forming different curved surfaces. By this method, normal constraints can be applied on the sheet metal surface in the whole deforming process and cover the full surface. This gets an effectively control on the sheet metal forming defects especially on wrinkling. But such advantages of FDSC MPF bring great problems in modeling and simulation----hundreds of punch’s heads move individually and each one rotates or swings with the forming of sheet in different directions and velocities. Further more,contact condition between punch’s heads and forming sheet are also changeable and unsteady.This paper introduces the modeling and FEM simulation of FDSC MPF based on ABAQUS. Python is used as programming language to secondary develop the software and to establish a simulation platform. This platform’s functions are as follows:(a) basic parameters input such as material performance, plate size(b) rapid assembly of MPF punches and sheet automatically(c) automatic definition of interaction conditions, loading and meshing(d) to complete the modeling and analysis of a variety modes of MPF.The platform established have been used to simulate different modes of MPF to verify its efficiency and accuracy. The results showed that the pre-treatment modeling for multi-point forming can be established automatically and quickly. The simulation can be accomplished within a receivable speed in ABAQUS.In order to verify the function of this parametric analysis platform further,simulation of sail surface of FDSC MPF with different parameters are done and the springback of sail surfaces was studied. Future more, experimental deformations were carried out and the simulating results were compared with that of experiment.Comparison showed a good consistency between the experimental data and simulation data.