Sabbatical: Albert Van Bael: innovations in the modeling of 3D printed shape memory polymers and sheet metal forming processes.

My research will focus on innovations in the modeling of 3D printed shape memory polymers and sheet metal forming processes. The aim
is to realize significant extensions of the functionalities of the software that we developed in KU Leuven IOF Knowledge Platform
“Multiscale Simulations of Plastic Metal Forming Processes” (2012-2017). The research on polymers will be conducted in collaboration
with profs. K. Jansen and S. Ghodrat in the Emerging Materials Section of the Dept. Sustainable Design Engineering at TU Delft. We are
currently working on conceiving a 3D printed demonstrator, discussing state-of-the-art material models and planning material tests to
identify the parameters of those models. The core of my sabbatical research will be the implementation of a dedicated material model infinite element software, and the simulation and experimental validation of the demonstrator. This should lead to a quantitatively reliable
simulation tool to assist designers in the virtual design of 3D printed products whose shape can change in a programmable manner thanks
to the shape memory effect. In addition, research on sheet metal forming will be conducted in the group of M. Bambach, Professor of
New Manufacturing Technologies at Dept. of Mechanical and Process Engineering of ETH Zurich. In collaboration with the Autoform
Engineering company, strategies will be developed to link our crystal plasticity models to leading industrial software for the virtual design
of sheet metal forming processes. This collaboration is in part thanks to the result we achieved in the Numisheet 2018 benchmark
“Prediction of Yield Locus and R-value Distribution for 5000-Series Aluminum Alloy Sheet Using Crystal Plasticity Analysis”. There we
scored as one of the two best (out of 10 participating groups) with the software that we developed for virtual material testing in the
aforementioned Knowledge Platform, which has led to increased interest from scientific and industrial partners.