Hot Sheet Metal Forming
Dr. Arthur B. Shapiro
Metal forming (sheet metal stamping) refers to the manufacturing of thin sheet metal parts (e.g., fenders, channels, hub caps, stiffeners, etc.). It involves stretching, drawing and bending a sheet of metal into a desired shape. Stamped metal parts (aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, etc.) are commonly found in the automotive and aerospace applications. These parts are produced in large quantities, using special tooling and high-volume production techniques.
LS-DYNA Pipe Network
Flow Analyzer - 315KB
Arthur Shapiro
LS-DYNA For Hot Stamping Sheet Metal Parts
31a - Steps to Hot Stamp a Sheet Metal Part - 4MB - Dr. A. Shapiro
Shown in the above movie hot_stamping.avi are the manufacturing steps
required to hot stamp a sheet metal part. The blank is first heated to
the austenization temperature, about 950C. The blank is then transferred
to the dies. During the transfer the blank decreases in temperature due
to heat lose to the environment by convection and radiation. The blank
is placed on the lower die. The blank bottom surface thermal boundary
conditions during the transfer process must be turned off as contact
with the lower die now controls the heat transfer process. This causes a
temperature gradient to occur through the thickness of the blank. The
dies close forming the part. The part is held in the dies for several
seconds to quench the material causing a phase transformation to
martensite. The movie shows the blank cooling and the dies heating up.
Notice the serpentine temperature pattern occurring on the lower die
surface. This is caused by the serpentine cooling passages in the lower
die. The second part of the movie shows the cooling fluid passing
through these passages. Colder fluid pushes the hot fluid from the
stamping process out of the tubes, thereby cooling the die for the next
stamping and quenching process.
Dr. Shapiro is also the editor on the site
Heat Transfer - Thermal Analysis