COMPLAS 2023

Simplified and Complete Models for Hot Forming a Complex Industrial Part

  • Rangasamy Mahendren , Sharan Raj (LGP, INP/ENIT, University of Toulouse)
  • Pantale, Olivier (LGP, INP/ENIT, University of Toulouse)
  • Marcel, Yves (Group LAUAK France)
  • Dalverny, Olivier (LGP, INP/ENIT, University of Toulouse)

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In the aerospace industry, titanium alloys are one of the most widely used metallic materials for applications with high mechanical and thermal stresses and high strength-to-weight ratio. The availability of these alloys in sheet metal form makes them ideal for forming processes. These alloys are often formed at elevated temperatures to achieve high levels of deformation, prevent springback and residual stresses and, it is necessary to use very high heat-resistant tooling. When an industry receives a request for quotation, it has a limited time to respond and to find the right forming process (hot or SPF) and temperature for a specific part, which determines the manufacturing cost. To avoid any risks, they are increasingly using numerical methods such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to evaluate the adapted forming process for a complex shape. With our industrial partner, our goal is to develop two FE models to predict the material behavior during the hot forming process of a complex part used in the Airbus A320 neo. (a) A simplified model to predict the appropriate forming temperature (process) which can be considered as a Go/NoGo test to make the tools and evaluate the processability. (b) A complete model to accurately simulate the isothermal hot forming process. All simulations are performed using Abaqus FEA. Our work includes a comparison of models using classic and continuous shell elements, with/without creep, plasticity, strain rate dependence and viscoplasticity. Finally, the results are compared to the manufactured part based on the resulting geometry and sheet thickness.