On adaptive strategies for large deformations of elasto-plastic solids at finite strains: computational issues and industrial applications

This work is concerned with adaptive strategies for finite element simulati on of large deformations of elasto-plastic solids at finite strains. Comput ational issues relevant for application of adaptive strategies to solution of industrial problems are particularly discussed. The need for a rigorous treatment of both theoretical and algorithmic issues is emphasised and aspe cts important to the solution of practical problems are discussed. Some pos sibilities for the choice of error indicators are presented. With the aim o f achieving an effective and robust adaptive strategy, computational experi ence suggests that it is crucial to design an error indicator which represe nts the essential features of the physical problem under consideration. Det ailed analysis is also given to the transfer of variables between moving me shes for history-dependent elasto-plastic materials in the presence of larg e strains. A set of numerical examples representing a wide range of industr ial problems is provided to illustrate the effectiveness and robustness of the developed approach. The application areas covered include metal forming with thermomechanical coupling, high-speed machining and blanking, and pro jectile impact modelling. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S. A. All rights reserv ed.