In this blog we'll simulate a sheet metal forming process called deep drawing, with SIMULIA Abaqus Software. It can be challenging to design a deep drawing product and the tools to create it, because many potential issues are not observed until the first prototype is produced. Simulations can help determine whether a design suffices, without actually having to create costly tools or do time consuming tests. Multiple design iterations can easily be investigated.

When producing a part, you want it to match the design, the geometry. How to achieve this is not always evident.

For example, when the part is created from sheet metal by pressing it between an upper and lower die, the final part may not fully match the space in between the dies due to the spring back effect. If the deformation would be fully plastic, then the deformed shape will not change during unloading. If it is partially elastic, then the elastic deformation is recovered upon unloading and hence the final shape differs from the shape between the dies. In this blog I’ll give an example of this effect, showing that we can model it with Abaqus.