Investigation of the Thickness Differential on the Formability of Aluminum Tailor Welded Blanks

Abstract

A finite element model is proposed to investigate the effect of thickness differential on Limiting Dome Height (LDH) testing of aluminum tailor-welded blanks. The numerical model is validated via comparison of the equivalent plastic strain and displacement distribution between the simulation results and the experimental data. The normalized equivalent plastic strain and normalized LDH values are proposed as a means of quantifying the influence of thickness differential for a variety of different ratios. Increasing thickness differential was found to decrease the normalized equivalent plastic strain and normalized LDH values, this providing an evaluation of blank formability.

Keywords

• thickness differential
• limiting dome height
• tailor welded blank