Computer-aided control of sheet metal forming processes

The failure rate of formed sheet metal parts may be predicted at the design and blueprint stage by the computer software package presently described. An important feature of the software system is rapid graphic representation of the computed major and minor strains at all nodal points of the formed part. Superimposition of the computed strains on the forming limit diagrams of the particular material employed allows design engineers to determine necessary changes in such process variables as material, geometry, loading method, boundary conditions and die design. The analysis code consists of programs which describe constitutive equations from the data base obtained for various materials, programs computing both a forming limit diagram and information regarding forming limit which is based on shop experience, and two sets of finite element analysis codes.