Altair's Student Guides - Instructor's Manual - CAE For Simulation of Sheet Metal Forming

Student Project Summaries CAE for Simulation of Metal Forming
Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................2
Installation Instructions: .......................................................................2
Simulation of Springback in Aluminum.......................................................3
Description of the Problem ....................................................................3
Data Organization .................................................................................4
Building the Tool...................................................................................4
Process Parameters...............................................................................5
The Nonlinear Solution ..........................................................................6
Results and Design Modifications ...........................................................6
Further Work ........................................................................................7
Summary .............................................................................................8
Blank Size Optimization for an A-Pillar .......................................................9
Description of the Problem ....................................................................9
Data Organization ............................................................................... 10
Building the Tool................................................................................. 10
Process Parameters............................................................................. 11
The Nonlinear Solution ........................................................................ 12
Results and Design Modifications ......................................................... 12
Further Work ...................................................................................... 13
Summary ........................................................................................... 13
Optimization of Blankholding Force for a Seat Riser.................................. 15
Description of the Problem .................................................................. 15
Further Work ...................................................................................... 19
Summary ........................................................................................... 19
Multi-stage Forming of a Suspension Cover.............................................. 21
Description of the Problem .................................................................. 21
Further Work ...................................................................................... 25
Summary ........................................................................................... 26
1
Introduction
This material is best used after reading the book Managing The CAE Process.
Access to HyperWorks software is not essential for you, the instructor. Of

course, if you choose to solve the problems yourself before working with
your students, you will need HyperForm, Radioss, HyperView and
HyperGraph.
This book describes 4 assignment problems that highlight different

applications of HyperWorks. Each problem is independent, and is complete
in itself. Students may choose to do more than one, depending on their
interest.
To make best use of this material you will need a computer with a sound-
card and speakers. Your computer should have a media-player program
(such as Windows Media Player) and an Internet Browser that supports
JavaScript. The material can be copied to a server and accessed by clients.
You can customize the HTML files to suit your

requirements. After opening the file, double-
click on any text to edit it. Use the save changes
link on the left of your Browser window when
you are finished.
Installation Instructions:
1. Copy the folders to your computer or to your server. If you are
working on a server, it is a good idea to set the folders to “read
only” to prevent inadvertent modifications.
2. The videos are best played in full-screen at a resolution of 1024 x
768. You may need to install the CamStudio Codec to view video on
your computer. To do this, right-click on the file camcodec.inf and
choose Install from the popup menu. You may need administrator
privileges to do this.
3. Ensure that JavaScript is enabled on your browser.
4. Each folder contains one HTML file. Double-click on it to open the
instructions.
5. Data files are provided as relevant – IGES files, HM files, etc.
6. In case you need support, contact your distributor or email
edu.support@altair.india.com
2
Simulation of Springback in Aluminum

Areas covered:
• Data import and geometry cleanup
• Layout and organization of components of the
press-tool
• Specification of process parameters
• Controlling the incremental solver for explicit
forming analysis and implicit springback analysis
Software used:
• HyperForm
• Radioss
• HyperView
• HyperGraph
Description of the Problem

Aerospace components often use aluminum for the
weight advantage it provides over steel.
Unfortunately, aluminum has two disadvantages
from a forming perspective. First, its behavior is
more sensitive to the strain-rate than ordinary
steels. Second, it is more prone to springback -
recovery of elastic strains after forming.
The component that has been supplied to a die

designer is geometrically simple, but the press
shop has no experience in working with Aluminum.
The range of forces to be used, for both the blank
holder and the ram, are to be verified. Further, the
die designer has to confirm whether the
component will pass dimensional checks after
forming, or whether springback must be
compensated for - either by forming the
component a little too much or by using a
subsequent operation.
So the analyst must cover two distinct steps.
The first is to check for the effect of springback.

The task is complicated by the fact that the press
shop has not supplied material data for Aluminum.
Aerospace manufacturers tend to be very specific
3
in the grade of alloys that are permitted, so the

die designer wants to supply, along with the
design, the effects of changes in the material
properties of some common Aluminum alloys on
the performance of the process.
Next, the analyst must establish the process

parameters - forces, lubricant, etc. – and, if
springback is significant, suggest how the press
shop can deal with the problem.
Data Organization
The initial data is available as an IGES file. This
includes both the die-surfaces and the blank.
Simulation of forming does not call for every

part of the press tool to be modeled! Only those
components that directly contact the blank are
needed. Further, analysis assumes that all
components but the blank are rigid. For the
single-action press that this problem uses, this
means the analyst needs surface-data defining
the die face, the blank, the binder and the
punch.
Specifying and locating each component can be

tedious: it is here that the automated options in
HyperForm shine. If the data is organized
according to the recommended convention
(orientation, names, etc.) this step can be
extremely easy. Understanding the convention
and organizing the data according to this is all
that is required.
Building the Tool

Theory tells us that the binder is an important
part of the tool design: in practice, however, it
is customary for the die designer to leave it to
the machinist to "derive" the binder and punch
from the die face by applying an offset.
Since this is the case for this project, the first

step is to check that the IGES geometry is
4
correct – for instance, to check for gaps in the

surfaces, which is a common occurrence given the
finite precision of many CAD modelers.
Gaps can either be repaired manually or

automatically. Then the Tool Build macro is used
to generate the FE models for the binder and
punch.
This component has a "flat" parting plane, so

binder wrap is not an issue. Even though the
geometry is simple, the IGES data has several
gaps, so the various methods to "repair" the data
- some automatic and some manual – are
reviewed.
Note that the FE model of the tool is made up

entirely of shell elements. The punch, binder and
die are rigid (that is, we neglect any deformation
in them) so the "Finite Element" characteristics of
shell elements apply only to the blank.
Process Parameters
The automatic-process definition options make it
very easy to define all the process parameters,
but it is important to take care to make sure all
the correct options have been specified! For
instance, the setup requires a single-action press.
This section covers how to
• specify the kind of press

• apply draw beads
• specify the material for the blank using
library data
• define the die movement by specifying
the velocity vs. distance curve
• apply a blank holder gap, so that the
blank holding force can be calculated
• review data such as the friction coefficient
and level of adaptive-meshing
It's important to remember that the shell

elements represent the mid-plane of the blank.
5
Since the blank thickness is given, the die-travel-

distances should be modified accordingly.
Also, it is customary to use velocities that are

much higher than those actually used in the
press. This higher velocity reduces the
computational time significantly, without hurting
the fidelity of results significantly.
However, forming simulation for Aluminum needs

more care since Aluminum has a higher strain-
rate sensitivity.
Further, one of the vexing problems in most die-

analysis is to characterize the coefficient of
friction: what is the impact of a lubricant on the
flow of material? The initial analysis deals with
this by using a representative value (0.125) in the
model. The Further Work section addresses ways
to carry this approach to its logical conclusion.
The Nonlinear Solution

The most time consuming step of any forming
simulation is the solution time: the solver must
step forward in time, checking whether the time
step must be changed, whether the elements
must be refined, and so on.
From a user-interaction perspective, of course,

there's little of interest in this step. The steps to
note are that the data is organized in folders, and
that the solver creates several different files - the
data "deck", the animation files, the result files
and the time history.
Results and Design Modifications

One of the problems with non-linear analysis is
that verification of results is not always easy - it's
often hard to decide whether the simulation's
predictions are accurate, since even non-intuitive
results may be correct.
6
If your students have a good grasp on the mathematics of the finite element
method, they should use the on-line documentation to check for output
measures that help judge the quality of the solution.
Your students should appreciate that in a production scenario, simulation is

intended to reduce tryouts, not eliminate them entirely. The usual practice is
to verify that the simulation has adequately captured the behavior of one
tryout then to perform what-if simulations using this model as a reliable
estimator.
HyperView and HyperGraph are used to
• load the results and animate the deformation of the blank

• plot thickness contours to check for the tendency to wrinkle or tear
• generate a Forming Limit Diagram (using the "theoretical" Forming
Limit Curve in the absence of experimental results)
• plot the contact forces to estimate the required tonnage
This section also covers how to
• perform the "implicit" springback calculations for Aluminum

• verify the changes in the component shape after it has been
permitted to relax
Further Work
There are several aspects that can make the project more complete. You
may choose to assign these to your students based on their level of
proficiency, the time available, etc.
Some of the areas for further work include
• coming up with an alternate die design or forming process to

compensate for springback
• optimizing the blank holding force
• running the simulations with an increased level of adaptivity to
ensure that the numerical computations are accurate enough
• interfacing with HyperStudy to use mathematical methods to
optimize the die for the first stage and process parameters (for a
robust process design)
You could also suggest to your students that they investigate the effects of
friction. If the die manufacturer can verify the model against an analysis, the
model can be fine-tuned to mimic real-life behavior, then used for what-if
analyses. Since your students are unlikely to have access to a press, they
7
can generate curves showing the variation of process-behavior with the

coefficient of friction.
Summary
By the end of this assignment, the student will know how to
• import IGES files

• perform manual and automatic geometry cleanup
• create filler surfaces
• equivalence edges
• search for duplicate faces
• use different parameter files for automatic cleanup
• rename components in accordance with the auto-process
requirements
• derive the binder and punch surfaces from the die face
• create draw beads
• choose material models and data from a library
• specify die velocity and range of movement
• apply blankholder forces
• specify the memory used by the solver
• edit the time-of-simulation
• specify the coefficient of friction
• read the simulation “list” files for information on the simulation
• view the animated, large-deformation, plastic deformation of the
blank
• generate thickness contours
• predict tearing and wrinkling
• generate a Forming Limit Curve and the Forming Limit Diagram
• calculate blankholder forces and press tonnage
8
Blank Size Optimization for an A-Pillar

Areas covered:
press-tool
• Use of HyperNest for blank-yield calculations
Software used:
• HyperForm
• Radioss
• HyperView
• HyperGraph

A press-shop is quoting for the manufacture of a
part of an "A Pillar" of a car. The component has
a nominal thickness of 1 mm and is made of
CRDQ (Cold Rolled Die Quality steel).
The product data has been supplied, based on

which the press-shop has arrived at a preliminary
die design. The die designer has created the die-
face, using the CAD model of the component as
the base. There are three problems the press
shop wants to address.
The first problem is to estimate several process

parameters. Principally, the analysis must indicate
whether or not draw beads will be required, and
whether a lubricant must be used or not. The
component specifications call for the thickness to
be within 12% of the nominal thickness.
Next, the size of press that will be needed must

be estimated. That is, the press tonnage must be
calculated.
Finally, since the press shop will have to

manufacture the components if it wins the order,
it would be to its advantage if it can optimize the
blank shape. Even though the component is a
little large, the press-shop wants to check if a
9
"trimless" blank can be specified. This allows the

press shop to save on the post-forming trimming
operation. If not, can wastage be reduced? A
preliminary blank has been given, but this is only
indicative: the press shop wants to know the best
blank shape.
Data Organization
Simulation of forming does not call for every part

of the press tool to be modeled! Only those
components but the blank are rigid. For the single-
action press that this problem uses, this means the
analyst needs surface-data defining the die face,
the blank, the binder and the punch.

extremely easy. Understanding the convention and
organizing the data according to this is all that is
required.
Building the Tool

Theory tells us that the binder is an important part
of the tool design: in practice, however, it is
customary for the die designer to leave it to the
machinist to "derive" the binder and punch from
the die face by applying an offset.
Since this is the case for this project, the first step
is to check that the IGES geometry is correct – for
instance, to check for gaps in the surfaces, which
is a common occurrence given the finite precision
of many CAD modelers.
10

punch.
This component has a "flat" parting plane, so

binder wrap is not an issue. Even though the
geometry is simple, the IGES data has several
gaps, so the various methods to "repair" the data -
some automatic and some manual – are reviewed.
Note that the FE model of the tool is made up

entirely of shell elements. The punch, binder and
die are rigid (that is, we neglect any deformation
in them) so the "Finite Element" characteristics of
shell elements apply only to the blank.
Process Parameters
The automatic-process definition options make it
very easy to define all the process parameters, but
it is important to take care to make sure all the
correct options have been specified! For instance,
the setup requires a single-action press.

• specify the material for the blank using
library data
• define the die movement by specifying the
velocity vs. distance curve
• apply a blank holder gap, so that the blank
holding force can be calculated
It's important to remember that the shell elements

represent the mid-plane of the blank. Since the
blank thickness is given, the die-travel-distances
should be modified accordingly.

much higher than those actually used in the press.
11
This higher velocity reduces the computational time

significantly, without hurting the fidelity of results
significantly.

analysis is to characterize the coefficient of friction:
what is the impact of a lubricant on the flow of
material? The initial analysis deals with this by using
a representative value (0.125) in the model. The
Further Work section addresses ways to carry this
approach to its logical conclusion.

simulation is the solution time: the solver must step
forward in time, checking whether the time step
must be changed, whether the elements must be
refined, and so on.

data "deck", the animation files, the result files and
the time history.

One of the problems with non-linear analysis is that
verification of results is not always easy - it's often
hard to decide whether the simulation's predictions
are accurate, since even non-intuitive results may
be correct.
If your students have a good grasp on the

mathematics of the finite element method, they
should use the on-line documentation to check for
output measures that help judge the quality of the
solution.
Your students should appreciate that in a

production scenario, simulation is intended to
reduce tryouts, not eliminate them entirely. The
usual practice is to verify that the simulation has
12
adequately captured the behavior of one tryout then to perform what-if

simulations using this model as a reliable estimator.

This section also covers see how to
• use the One-Step solver to estimate the blank size

• export this "custom" blank shape for subsequent analysis
• use HyperNest to compare the yield for this shape over the initial
blank shape, under various nesting-configurations
Further Work

Summary
13

requirements
blank
14
Optimization of Blankholding Force for a

Seat Riser
Areas covered:
press-tool
• Impact of drawbeads and blankholding force on
wrinkles
Software used:
• HyperForm
• Radioss
• HyperView
• HyperGraph

A die manufacturer has been asked to design and
manufacture the die for a car seat riser - a sheet
metal component that has a nominal thickness =
0.7mm and is made of CRDQ. Since the geometry
is complex, the CAD data has been supplied to the
die designer, who has to design, manufacture,
verify and supply the die to the component
manufacturer.
The die designer has created the die-face, using

the CAD model of the component as the base. The
problem now is to freeze several process
parameters.
The first information that the component

manufacturer needs is the size of press that will be
needed. That is, the press tonnage must be
confirmed.
The die designer also wants to know if any draw

beads will be required, so that the manufacturing
process can be planned while the design activity
proceeds. The component specifications call for
the thickness to be within 10% of the nominal
thickness.
15
Data Organization
Simulation of forming does not call for every part

of the press tool to be modeled! Only those
components but the blank are rigid. For the
single-action press that this problem uses, this
means the analyst needs surface-data defining
the die face, the blank, the binder and the punch.

extremely easy. Understanding the convention
and organizing the data according to this is all
that is required.
Building the Tool

Theory tells us that the binder is an important
part of the tool design: in practice, however, it is
customary for the die designer to leave it to the
machinist to "derive" the binder and punch from
the die face by applying an offset.
Since this is the case for this project, the first step
is to check that the IGES geometry is correct – for
instance, to check for gaps in the surfaces, which
is a common occurrence given the finite precision
of many CAD modelers.

punch.
This component has a "curved" parting plane, so

the binder itself is curved. This means the analyst
has to move the punch to avoid binder-wrap. That
16
is, the position of the punch must be adjusted

so that the blank is held firmly between the
die and the binder before it touches the
punch. This is essential, to preserve the
principal purpose of the binder - to grip the
blank.
Remember that the FE model of the tool is

made up entirely of shell elements. The punch,
binder and die are rigid (that is, we neglect
any deformation in them) so the "Finite
Element" characteristics of shell elements
apply only to the blank.
Process Parameters
The automatic-process definition options make
it very easy to define all the process
parameters, but it is important to take care to
make sure all the correct options have been
specified! For instance, the setup requires a
single-action press.

• specify the material for the blank
using library data
• define the die movement by specifying
the velocity vs. distance curve
• apply a blank holder gap, so that the
blank holding force can be calculated
• review data such as the friction
coefficient and level of adaptive-
meshing
It's important to remember that the shell

elements represent the mid-plane of the blank.
Since the blank thickness is given, the die-
travel-distances should be modified
accordingly.

17

computational time significantly, without hurting
the fidelity of results significantly.

analysis is to characterize the coefficient of
friction: what is the impact of a lubricant on the
flow of material? The initial analysis deals with
this by using a representative value (0.125) in the
model. The Further Work section addresses ways
to carry this approach to its logical conclusion.

simulation is the solution time: the solver must
step forward in time, checking whether the time
step must be changed, whether the elements
must be refined, and so on.

data "deck", the animation files, the result files
and the time history.

One of the problems with non-linear analysis is
that verification of results is not always easy - it's
often hard to decide whether the simulation's
predictions are accurate, since even non-intuitive
results may be correct.

mathematics of the finite element method, they
should use the on-line documentation to check for
output measures that help judge the quality of
the solution.
Your students should appreciate that in a

production scenario, simulation is intended to
reduce tryouts, not eliminate them entirely. The
usual practice is to verify that the simulation has
18
adequately captured the behavior of one tryout then to perform what-if

simulations using this model as a reliable estimator.

Further Work
• optimizing the blank holding force using HyperStudy

Summary

requirements
19
blank
20
Multi-stage Forming of a Suspension

Cover
Areas covered:
press-tool
• Die design for multi-stage forming
Software used:
• HyperForm
• Radioss
• HyperView
• HyperGraph

The die design for a cover used in the suspension
of a truck has been supplied. The component is 2
mm thick, and the designers want to form the
component in a single stage. This is a little
ambitious, since the previous tool for a similar
component used two stages. Given the
advantages that a reduction-in-stages has, the die
designers want to know whether the current
design will work.
The component is made of CRDQ (Cold Rolled Die

Quality steel), and is permitted a 15% variation in
thickness over the nominal thickness (2 mm).
The product data has been supplied, based on

which the press-shop has arrived at a preliminary
die design. The die designer has created the die-
face, using the CAD model of the component as
the base. There are two problems the designers
want to address.
The first is to estimate several process

parameters. Principally, the analysis must indicate
whether or not draw beads will be required, and
whether a lubricant must be used or not.
21
Then, depending on whether two stages are needed

or one is adequate, the size of press that will be
needed must be estimated. That is, the press tonnage
must be calculated.
Data Organization
Simulation of forming does not call for every part of

the press tool to be modeled! Only those components
that directly contact the blank are needed. Further,
analysis assumes that all components but the blank
are rigid. For the single-action press that this problem
uses, this means the analyst needs surface-data
defining the die face, the blank, the binder and the
punch.

HyperForm shine. If the data is organized according
to the recommended convention (orientation, names,
etc.) this step can be extremely easy. Understanding
the convention and organizing the data according to
this is all that is required.
Building the Tool

Theory tells us that the binder is an important part of
the tool design: in practice, however, it is customary
for the die designer to leave it to the machinist to
"derive" the binder and punch from the die face by
applying an offset.
Since this is the case for this project, the first step is
to check that the IGES geometry is correct – for
instance, to check for gaps in the surfaces, which is a
common occurrence given the finite precision of many
CAD modelers.

automatically. Then the Tool Build macro is used to
generate the FE models for the binder and punch.
22
This component has a "curved" parting plane, so the

binder itself is curved. This means the analyst has to
move the punch to avoid binder-wrap. That is, the
position of the punch must be adjusted so that the
blank is held firmly between the die and the binder
before it touches the punch. This is essential, to
preserve the principal purpose of the binder - to grip
the blank.
Remember that the FE model of the tool is made up

entirely of shell elements. The punch, binder and die
are rigid (that is, we neglect any deformation in them)
so the "Finite Element" characteristics of shell
elements apply only to the blank.
Process Parameters
The automatic-process definition options make it very
easy to define all the process parameters, but it is
important to take care to make sure all the correct
options have been specified! For instance, the setup
requires a single-action press.

• specify the material for the blank using library
data
• define the die movement by specifying the
velocity vs. distance curve
• apply a blank holder gap, so that the blank
holding force can be calculated
It's important to remember that the shell elements

represent the mid-plane of the blank. Since the blank
thickness is given, the die-travel-distances should be
modified accordingly.
23

computational time significantly, without
hurting the fidelity of results significantly.
Further, one of the vexing problems in most

die-analysis is to characterize the coefficient
of friction: what is the impact of a lubricant
on the flow of material? The initial analysis
deals with this by using a representative value
(0.125) in the model. The Further Work
section addresses ways to carry this approach
to its logical conclusion.

simulation is the solution time: the solver
must step forward in time, checking whether
the time step must be changed, whether the
elements must be refined, and so on.
From a user-interaction perspective, of

course, there's little of interest in this step.
The steps to note are that the data is
organized in folders, and that the solver
creates several different files - the data
"deck", the animation files, the result files and
the time history.

One of the problems with non-linear analysis
is that verification of results is not always
easy - it's often hard to decide whether the
simulation's predictions are accurate, since
even non-intuitive results may be correct.

mathematics of the finite element method,
they should use the on-line documentation to
check for output measures that help judge
the quality of the solution.
24
Your students should appreciate that in a production scenario, simulation is

intended to reduce tryouts, not eliminate them entirely. The usual practice is
to verify that the simulation has adequately captured the behavior of one
tryout then to perform what-if simulations using this model as a reliable
estimator.

This section also covers see how to
• use the results of the first analysis to estimate the die for the first
stage of forming
• redo the analysis with this "new" design, after making sure the the
"state" file is saved by the previous stage
• use the blank from the first stage as the starting point of the second
stage, by reading the state file
Further Work

25
Summary

requirements
blank
26

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Student Project Summaries CAE for Simulation of Metal Forming

Access to HyperWorks software is not essential for you, the instructor. Of

This book describes 4 assignment problems that highlight different

You can customize the HTML files to suit your

Simulation of Springback in Aluminum

Description of the Problem

The component that has been supplied to a die

So the analyst must cover two distinct steps.

The first is to check for the effect of springback.

in the grade of alloys that are permitted, so the

Next, the analyst must establish the process

Simulation of forming does not call for every

Specifying and locating each component can be

Building the Tool

Since this is the case for this project, the first

correct – for instance, to check for gaps in the

Gaps can either be repaired manually or

This component has a "flat" parting plane, so

Note that the FE model of the tool is made up

This section covers how to

• specify the kind of press

It's important to remember that the shell

Since the blank thickness is given, the die-travel-

Also, it is customary to use velocities that are

However, forming simulation for Aluminum needs

Further, one of the vexing problems in most die-

The Nonlinear Solution

From a user-interaction perspective, of course,

Results and Design Modifications

Your students should appreciate that in a production scenario, simulation is

HyperView and HyperGraph are used to

• load the results and animate the deformation of the blank

This section also covers how to

• perform the "implicit" springback calculations for Aluminum

Some of the areas for further work include

• coming up with an alternate die design or forming process to

can generate curves showing the variation of process-behavior with the

• import IGES files

Blank Size Optimization for an A-Pillar

Description of the Problem

The product data has been supplied, based on

The first problem is to estimate several process

Next, the size of press that will be needed must

Finally, since the press shop will have to

"trimless" blank can be specified. This allows the

Simulation of forming does not call for every part

Specifying and locating each component can be

Building the Tool

Gaps can either be repaired manually or

This component has a "flat" parting plane, so

Note that the FE model of the tool is made up

This section covers how to

• specify the kind of press

It's important to remember that the shell elements

Also, it is customary to use velocities that are

This higher velocity reduces the computational time

Further, one of the vexing problems in most die-

The Nonlinear Solution

From a user-interaction perspective, of course,

Results and Design Modifications

If your students have a good grasp on the

Your students should appreciate that in a

adequately captured the behavior of one tryout then to perform what-if