Development of Parametric Simulation Models for Metal Forming Processes of Plate Structures

During the process of workpiece productions in metal forming industries, it is necessary to control the results of the reshaped piece to ensure its quality. A common procedure of metal plate forming processes is given by the application of an upper and lower die. Therefore, ribbed die configurations can be used. To simulate the forming process of metal workpieces, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is a feasible tool. In this paper, a parametric model of a ribbed die structure is developed with the specification that only small imperfections on the workpiece surfaces will appear after the forming process. The workpieces in this paper are plates with thickness values equal and greater than 20mm. Furthermore, the springback behaviour of the different workpieces will be in the main focus of the proposed analyses. The results of the simulations are used to developed different types of holder configurations instead of the lower die. This concept might further reduce the costs of forming processes of large metal plates.