High speed sheet metal forming Exploiting the full potential of metals

Sheet metal forming is a common technique to produce objects for different applications, such as cans, car components, thin-walled beams, … starting from a thin metal plate. Critical in forming is the ability of the metal to change its shape without excessive thinning or even failure. Even when no damage can be visually observed in the formed object, internal forming-induced damage might be present and affect the behaviour of the final product. To increase production speeds and/or to take advantage of the beneficial effects an increased speed can have on both the material during forming and the properties of the formed part, high speed forming processes are gaining importance. Main aim of present proposal is the study of the effect of the strain rate on the material forming properties. First, an extensive experimental campaign will be carried out in which small metal sheet samples will be subjected to well-controlled, high speed deformation paths. In a second instance, by microscopic observation of the deformed samples, a fundamental understanding of the damage development in the materials during high strain rate deformation is aimed at. Last, but not least, the microscopic and experimental observations will be used to calibrate models to describe the strain rate dependent, plastic and damage behaviour. The models will not only allow a more accurate prediction of dynamic forming processes, though, also of the mechanical properties of objects obtained by high speed forming.