Contributing Factors to the Increased Formability Observed in Electromagnetically Formed Aluminum Alloy Sheet

Abstract

This paper summarizes the results of an experimental and numerical program carried out to study the formability of aluminum alloy sheet formed using electromagnetic forming (EMF). Free-formed and conical samples of AA5754 aluminum alloy sheet were studied. The experiments showed significant increases in formability for the conical samples, but no significant increase for the free-formed parts. It was found that relatively little damage growth occurred and that the failure modes of the materials changed from those observed in quasi-static forming to those observed in high hydrostatic stress environments. Numerical simulations were performed using the explicit finite element code LS-DYNA with an analytical EM force distribution. The numerical models revealed that a complex stress state is generated when the sheet interacts with the tool, which is characterized by high hydrostatic stresses that create a stress state favourable to damage suppression increasing ductility. Shear stresses and strains are also produced at impact with the die which help the material achieve additional deformation. The predicted peak strain rates for the free formed parts were on the order of 1000 s^(-1) and for the conical parts the rates are on the order of 10,000 s^(-1). Although aluminum is typically considered to be strain-rate insensitive, the strain rates predicted could be playing a role in the increased formability. The predicted strain paths for the conical samples were highly non-linear. The results from this study indicate that there is an increase in formability for AA5754 when the alloy is formed into a die using EMF. This increase in formability is due to a combination of high hydrostatic stresses, shear stresses, high strain rates, and non-linear strain paths.