Sheet metal forming is one of the most fundamental manufacturing technologies used in the production of numerous goods including hundreds of automotive components, consumer appliances, and beverage cans. The occurrence of wrinkling on a part could be either acceptable or unacceptable based on the product specifications. The ability of predicting such behavior is essential for shortening the development cycle and reducing manufacturing cost. This research project will numerically and experimentally address the onset, post-buckling and secondary buckling behavior of thin sheets buckled into a wide range of wavelengths under in-plane compression with or without normal constraints. This research project may reduce the computation time of Finite Element Analysis by about eighty percent while accurately predicting the onset of wrinkling. The success of this project will be extremely beneficial to product and process development at early design stage. This is a collaborative research project between the University and an industrial partner.
