DMI-9700103 Wu The metal forming process, including sheet metal forming, is still heavily dependent upon experience-based and trial-and-error techniques. To improve the efficiency of metal forming process, analytical techniques are required to advanced the predictive capabilities of engineering design tools. The focal point of the proposed analytical techniques ties in the scientific understanding of the basic deformation process and its mechanics. The study will result in an effective formulation that can realistically describe the deformation of metal forming. The effort will be devoted to the development of a unified theory of anisotropic plasticity that is realistic in industrial applications. Topics to be investigated include a quadratic yield function, kinematic hardening, the plastic strain ratio, deformation of sheet metals and torsion of a thin-walled tube. This collaborative research project is a joint effort between the University of Iowa and Alcoa. The study will be carried out by use of theory and experiment. This study is the first step toward a comprehensive, high-powered computer simulation and design of metal forming and holds significant potential for development. This collaborative research project has a balance between theory and experiment, and will provide valuable findings for the automotive manufacturing and Aluminum manufacturing industries.
