A Method of Improving Limiting Drawing Ratio：Differential Temperature Deep Drawing Based on Superplasticity

Abstract

A thermal-mechanical coupled analysis of superplastic differential temperature deep drawing (SDTDD) with the MARC finite element code is performed in this paper. Initial drawing blank of an AA5083 bracket was calculated and adjusted according to the simulation result. During the SDTDD simulation, the power-law constitutive model of AA5083 was established as function of temperature and implanted in software MARC through new complied subroutine. Under the guide of the numerical simulation, the die was fabricated and the AA5083 bracket was successfully manufactured via superplastic differential temperature deep drawing. In forming practice, the temperature of female die was kept at 525°C, i.e. the optimal superplastic temperature of AA5083, and the punch was cooled by the flowing water throughout the forming process. The drawing velocity of punch was 0.1mm/s. Results revealed that the formed bracket had a sound uniform thickness distribution. Good agreement was obtained between the formed thickness profiles and the predicted ones.