SIMPLIFIED NUMERICAL-SIMULATION OF FORMING A CAR WHEEL DISK USING THESIMEX EXPLICIT FEM CODE, AND COMPARISONS WITH PRESS-SHOP RESULTS

The numerical simulation of manufacturing processes became in recent y ears a very important tool for improving the performance of Computer A ided Engineering methods in industrial sectors using the deep drawing process, such as in the automotive industry. This was a consequence of the development of new user friendly and robust 3D Finite Element Exp licit Time Integration Codes for the improved workstations and superco mputers. Although the 3D Finite Element Implicit Time Integration Code s are considered the best methods to analyze the quasi static deep dra wing process, the computer and memory size are too large. This paper i s focused on the simulation of the forming process of several stages o f a car wheel disk, where bending deformation becames predominant over deep drawing and stretching, with the inverse 3D Finite Element Code SIMEX. Among the several numerically predicted results, thickness is c ompared with the experimental results obtained using hot rolled steel sheets with different properties and thickness; since the weight reduc tion is the industrial challenge. Althougth this numerical simulation provides only approximate descriptions, the very short computer proces sing time required to obtain results makes the code SIMEX very useful at the design stage, where the selection of new materials should be ma de.