Numerical simulation and experimental investigation: Metal spinning process of stepped thin-walled cylindrical workpiece

Abstract

Many equipment and devices utilized in the aerospace industry are formed as symmetric parts through high plastic deformation of high strength sheet metal alloys with low thickness. Considering the inherent advantages of the spinning process of simple tooling and concentrated deformation loading, this process can be considered as one of the main options in producing these thin-sectioned lightweight parts. In this study, a Finite Element (FE) model has been developed to simulate the formation of a stepped thin-walled cylindrical workpiece of AISI 316 stainless steel alloy by spinning process. The FE simulation results were employed to investigate the effects of process parameters, including feed rate of the roller and rotational velocity of the mandrel on the distribution of stress and strain in the sheet metal, wrinkling failure, and thinning of the sheet metal during deformation. Experiments were carried out using selective input parameters based on the results of FE simulations. The comparison between FE simulations and experiments revealed that the developed model could predict the thinning of the sheet metals with over 93 % accuracy. Additionally, a good agreement between the experimentally deformed sheet configurations with those resulting from finite element simulations has been observed.