Bridging laboratory and industrial practices in sheared edge ductility evaluation

Mould correction for sheet-metal multi-step incremental air-bending forming based on close-loop control and FEM simulation

Milling operations are very common in manufacturing. Often it represents the last operation, determining the final product quality. Then an accurate mathematical model is important in order to design the cutting process, in terms of cutting process, and the geometry of the insert, for tool manufacturers. The finite element modeling (FEM) simulation permits the prediction of the cutting forces, stresses, and temperatures of the cutting process. The 2D FEM can be a reasonable approximation, where the deformation can be considered plain. For the milling operations, this assumption can be suitable if the depth of cut is much bigger than nose radius. But in the normal situation the insert has a complex geometry and the bidimensional model of the milling operation is not appropriate. The 3D FEM involves different element formulations, different remeshing algorithm, and different boundary conditions, so an independent approach is necessary. The approach followed in this paper is to model three-dimensionally the milling operation, considering the real geometry of the insert. The FEM simulation is carried out with a commercial code (3D DEFORM™). First the rheological model has been calibrated using OXCUT software, developed at the ERC/NSM, and a sensitivity analysis about friction model has been performed. Milling tests are conducted and the measured cutting forces are compared to finite element modeling results. The results show an acceptable agreement with experimental results in the range of cutting speed and feed rate considered.

Characterization of mechanically sheared edges of dual phase steels

P 221. Subject specific finite element models predict cortical excitation volumes generated by transcranial magnetic stimulation

A new approach on the influence of sheet thickness and material plastic properties on the limit strains in thin sheet metal forming is developed, using the strain gradient model that predict the local necking onset from initial thickness imperfections. As a result of the analysis, the definition of a roughness concept parameter is presented: the initial roughness profile inclination to thickness ratio parameter. Also, the critical normalized strain gradient at the onset of local necking can be calculated from the initial assumed roughness profile. A brief review of stretch forming of sheet metal, the diagrams and the limiting strain curves for local necking, FLC, and the limit strain theories are presented. The main characteristics of the sheet metal forming processes are also identified and are based in the press shop practice. The limit strains for different thickness sizes are obtained using the present model and a numerical code developed by the author. Present theoretical model produced reasonable predictions about the influence of thickness size on the FLC.

In this paper, two novel approaches, gradient-based and direct strain estimation techniques, are proposed for high-quality average strain imaging incorporating a cost function maximization. Stiffness typically is a continuous function. Consequently, stiffness of proximal tissues is very close to that of the tissue corresponding to a given data window. Hence, a cost function is defined from exponentially weighted neighboring pre- and post-compression RF echo normalized cross-correlation peaks in the lateral (for displacement estimation) or in both the axial and the lateral (for direct strain estimation) directions. This enforces a controlled continuity in displacement/strain and average displacement/strain is calculated from the corresponding maximized cost function. Axial stress causes lateral shift in the tissue. Therefore, a 1-D post-compression echo segment is selected by incorporating Poisson's ratio. Two stretching factors are considered simultaneously in gradient-based strain estimation that allow imaging the lesions properly. The proposed time-domain gradient-based and direct-strain-estimation-based algorithms demonstrate significantly better performance in terms of elastographic signal-to-noise ratio (SNRe), elastographic contrast-to-noise ratio (CNRe), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and mean structural similarity (MSSIM) than the other reported time-domain gradient-based and direct-strain-estimation techniques in finite element modeling (FEM) simulation and phantom experiments. For example, in FEM simulation, it has been found that the proposed direct strain estimation method can improve up to approximately 2.49 to 8.71, 2.2 to 6.63, 1.5 to 5, and 1.59 to 2.45 dB in the SNRe, CNRe, PSNR, and MSSIM compared with the traditional direct strain estimation method, respectively, and the proposed gradient-based algorithm demonstrates 2.99 to 16.26, 18.74 to 23.88, 3 to 9.5, and 0.6 to 5.36 dB improvement in the SNRe, CNRe, PSNR, and MSSIM, respectively, compared with a recently reported time-domain gradient-based technique. The range of improvement as noted above is for low to high applied strains. In addition, the comparative results using the in vivo breast data (including malignant or benign masses) also show that the lesion size is better defined by the proposed gradient-based average strain estimation technique.

Bridge inspections typically involve complex measurement criteria and take a long time. This study proposes a simpler inspection method that assesses the performance of reinforced concrete bridge girder beams. The method relies on crack length correlation with beam performance using theoretical approaches, Finite Element Model (FEM) simulations, and experimental testing. A reinforced concrete beam model is used to simulate similar flexural behavior to that of actual bridge girders. The results show that cracks form when concrete stress exceeds rupture stress, usually at 8%-12% of the ultimate capacity. Cracks grow until the steel reinforcement yields, which happens around 80%-90% of the ultimate capacity. Experimental crack length data at ultimate capacity align closely with FEM simulations, with a ratio of 0.92. In contrast, the results differ significantly from the theoretical predictions, with a ratio of 1.54. The study introduces six performance levels for reinforced concrete beams, linking crack length to beam performance. These parameters will help estimate bridge girder performance through visual crack assessments.

Analysis of sheet metal formability through isotropic and kinematic hardening models

Measurement of FRFs of coupled geared rotor system and the development of an accurate finite element model

The biomechanical properties of the cornea have a profound influence on its health and function. Rose bengal/green light corneal collagen cross-linking (RGX) has been proposed as an alternative to UV-A Riboflavin collagen cross-linking (UV-CXL) for treatment of keratoconus. However, the effects of RGX on the biomechanical properties of the cornea are not as well understood as UV-CXL. In this work, we demonstrate the feasibility of quantifying the viscoelasticity of the rabbit cornea before and after RGX using a noncontact method of phase-stabilized swept source optical coherence elastography (PhS-SSOCE) and finite element modeling (FEM). Viscoelastic FE models of the corneas were constructed to simulate the elastic wave propagation based on the OCE measurements. In addition, the effect of the fluid-structure interface (FSI) between the corneal posterior surface and aqueous humor on the elastic wave group velocity was also investigated. The effect of the FSI was first validated by OCE measurements and FEM simulations on contact lenses, and the OCE and FEM results were in good agreement. The Young’s modulus of the rabbit cornea before RGX was assessed as E=80 kPa, and the shear viscosity was η=0.40 Pa•s at an intraocular pressure (IOP) of 15 mmHg. After RGX, the Young’s modulus increased to E=112 kPa and shear viscosity decreased to η=0.37 Pa•s. Both the corneal OCE experiments and the FE simulations also demonstrated that the FSI significantly reduced the group velocity of the elastic wave, and thus, the FSI should be considered when determining the biomechanical properties of the cornea.

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">New innovations in the field of advanced high strength steels (AHSS) have led to the development of steels with improved stretch-flangeability known as hot-rolled multi-phase (HR) steels. To understand the performance of HR steels, hole expansion tests were conducted on five prototype HR steels and compared with their commercial dual-phase (DP) steel equivalent. A variety of hole edge conditions were considered to study the influence of the shear-affected-zone (SAZ), the surface roughness at the sheared edge and the shear burr orientation. The microstructure of each material was characterized and discussed in relation to its formability for the different edge conditions. It was observed that the bainitic-ferrite microstructure of the HR steels showed superior formability during sheared edge stretching compared to commercial dual-phase steels.</div></div>

Biomechanical modeling of the lateral decubitus posture during corrective scoliosis surgery

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT)/epoxy 1-3 piezocomposite rings with PZT volume fraction φ ranging from 0.58 to 0.93 have been fabricated. They have sufficiently small epoxy width (∼77–81 μm) and can be treated as effective homogeneous media. Stopband resonances (fS1, fS2) can be observed in the spectra and their locations are close to the theoretical predictions. Mode coupling theory and a finite element model (FEM) are applied to estimate the thickness (fT), lateral (fL), radial (fR), and wall-thickness (fW) resonances of the composite rings. As the frequencies and electromechanical coupling coefficients play a significant role in the performance of a composite transducer, it is important to know how these parameters change with φ. Good agreements are found between the experimental results and the FEM simulations. It is observed that the fR and fW vibrations greatly deteriorate at low values of φ. To avoid unwanted modes from coupling to fT, the thickness and aspect ratio of the PZT elements in the rings should be optimized. By using the FEM, effects of the ring dimensions on the lateral resonances can be predicted.

The swelling behavior of clay-sulfate rocks poses significant challenges in geotechnical engineering due to complex hydro-mechanical and chemical interactions. This study introduces a hybrid framework combining finite element modeling (FEM) with machine learning (ML) to efficiently analyze and predict the nonlinear behavior of swelling processes. We generated synthetic datasets representing swelling phenomena at the Staufen site, Germany, using a coupled hydro-mechanical FEM simulation in OpenGeoSys. A parametric analysis was conducted to systematically vary critical parameters, including Young's modulus, permeability, maximum swelling pressure, and air entry pressure, to capture the inherent uncertainty and variability of swelling processes. A constrained CatBoost ML model was trained on the FEM outputs to predict porosity, saturation, and displacement under varying hydro-mechanical conditions. Results demonstrate strong alignment between the ML surrogate and FEM simulations, achieving high accuracy while significantly reducing computational demands. Sensitivity analysis indicated the dominance of swelling pressure and Young's modulus in influencing swelling-induced deformation, while Monte Carlo simulations quantified prediction uncertainties. This contribution discusses the potential of integrating FEM with ML for site-specific risk assessment and mitigation planning in geotechnical engineering.

In sheet metal forming, free deformation of the sheet takes place frequently without contact with forming tools. The pre-straining resulting from the free deformation leads to a surface roughening of the sheet metal. It is assumed that the roughening has an influence on friction and wear behavior of the following forming process as well as the painting quality after the manufacturing. In this paper, a numerical prediction based on a polycrystalline model is first proposed to predict the effect of surface roughing based on the material data of the as-received state of the sheet metal. Different states of strain are analyzed and the numerical result is validated through experimental evaluation. Besides the numerical prediction, the friction behavior after pre-straining is evaluated in strip drawing tests and the coefficient of friction (COF) is calculated. For interpretation of the measured COF, the surface roughness after the friction test and the surface image are evaluated by a transparent toolset. It is shown that the surface transformation as a result of pre-straining has a negative influence on the lubricating effect of the sheet metal and degrades the friction behavior. Finally, the influence of the strain-induced surface roughening on wear is discussed based on wear testing in strip drawing test with draw bead geometry.