Finite Element Simulation of Flexible Roll Forming with Supplemented Material Data and the Experimental Verification

Flexible roll forming is a promising manufacturing method for the production of variable cross section products. Considering the large plastic strain in this forming process which is much larger than that of uniform deformation phase of uniaxial tensile test, the widely adopted method of simulating the forming processes with non-supplemented material data from uniaxial tensile test will certainly lead to large error. To reduce this error, the material data is supplemented based on three constitutive models. Then a finite element model of a six passes flexible roll forming process is established based on the supplemented material data and the original material data from the uniaxial tensile test. The flexible roll forming experiment of a B pillar reinforcing plate is carried out to verify the proposed method. Final cross section shapes of the experimental and the simulated results are compared. It is shown that the simulation calculated with supplemented material data based on Swift model agrees well with the experimental results, while the simulation based on original material data could not predict the actual deformation accurately. The results indicate that this material supplement method is reliable and indispensible, and the simulation model can well reflect the real metal forming process. Detailed analysis of the distribution and history of plastic strain at different positions are performed. A new material data supplement method is proposed to tackle the problem which is ignored in other roll forming simulations, and thus the forming process simulation accuracy can be greatly improved.

Evolution of 3D tectonic stress field and fault movement in North China

Based on data of fault movement surveying, we simulate the evolution process of three dimensional stress field in North China by three dimensional finite element method. Evolutional patterns in one-year time scale from 1986 to 1997 have been illustrated and the evolution characteristics of stress field have been analyzed. In comparison with the seismic activity among that time interval in North China, we have primarily discussed the relationship between the evolution of stress field and seismic activity.

3D finite element prediction of chip flow, burr formation, and cutting forces in micro end-milling of aluminum 6061-T6

Abstract Predictive models for machining operations have been significantly improved through numerous methods in recent decades. This study proposed a 3D finite element modeling （3D FEM） approach for the micro end-milling orAl6061-T6. Finite element （FE） simulations were performed under different cutting conditions to obtain realistic numerical predictions of chip flow, burr formation, and cutting forces. FE modeling displayed notable advantages, such as capability to easily handle any type of tool geometry and any side effect on chip formation, including thermal aspect and material property changes. The proposed 3D FE model considers the effects ofmiU helix angle and cutting edge radius on the chip. The prediction capability of the FE model was validated by comparing numerical model and experimental test results. Burr dimension trends were correlated with force profile shapes. However, the FE predictions overestimated the real force magnitude. This overestimation indicates that the model requires further development.

A 3D nonlinear finite element method for the dynamic analysis of rotating rotor with a transverse crack

A general and efficient method is presented in this paper for studying the effects of unbalance on the breathing mechanism of crack.Based on 3D finite element models combined with a nonlinear contact approach for crack modeling, the method is free from theassumption of weight-dominance and can be used to gain deep insights into the breathing mechanism of crack. In order to greatlyreduce the computational time, a complex free-interface component mode synthesis (CMS) method is employed to reduce theorder of the model. Based on the proposed method, the effects of unbalance on the breathing mechanism of crack are discussed.Numerical results show that the unbalance can lead to significant changes in the breathing of crack, even when the unbalance force is about an order of magnitude smaller than the self-weight. Moreover, the level and orientation of the unbalance have also remarkable effects on the breathing behaviors of crack. Besides, a new universal non-steady breathing phenomenon of crack is firstly found in this paper, which denotes that the breathing speed of a crack is fluctuated over one revolution when there exists residual unbalance in the cracked rotor.

Three-dimensional simulation of pore scale fluid flow in granular ore media with realistic geometry

The images of granular ore media were captured by X-ray CT scanner. Combined with digital image processing and finite element techniques, the three-dimensional geometrical model, which represents the realistic pore structure of the media, was constructed. With this model, three dimensional pore scale fluid flow among particles was simulated. Then the distributions of fluid flow velocity and pressure were analyzed and the hydraulic conductivity was calculated. The simulation results indicate the fluid flow behaviors are mainly dominated by the volume and topological structure of pore space. There exist obvious preferential flow and leaching blind zones simultaneously in the medium. The highest velocities generally occur in those narrow pores with high pressure drops. The hydraulic conductivity obtained by simulation is the same order of magnitude as the laboratory test result, which denotes the validity of the model. The pore-scale and macro-scale are combined and the established geometrical model can be used for the simulations of other phenomena during heap leaching process.