A comparative study of Forming Limit Diagrams predicted by two different plasticity theories involving vertex effects

The main objective of this contribution is to compare the Forming Limit Diagrams (FLDs) predicted by the use of two different vertex theories. The first theory is micromechanical and is based on the use of the Schmid law, within the framework of crystal plasticity coupled with the Taylor scale-transition scheme. The second theory is phenomenological and is based on the deformation theory of plasticity. For both theories, the mechanical behavior is formulated in the finite strain framework and is assumed to be isotropic and rate-independent. The theoretical framework of these approaches will be presented in details. In the micro-macro modeling, the isotropy is ensured by considering an isotropic initial texture. In the phenomenological modeling, the material parameters are identified on the basis of micro-macro simulations of tensile tests

Influence of the Yield Surface Curvature on the Forming Limit Diagrams Predicted by Crystal Plasticity Theory

The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of the microscopic yield surface (i.e., at the single crystal scale) on the forming limit diagrams (FLDs) of face centred cubic (FCC) materials. To predict these FLDs, the bifurcation approach is used within the framework of rate-independent crystal plasticity theory. For this purpose, two micromechanical models are developed and implemented. The first one uses the classical Schmid law, which results in the formation of vertices (or corners) at the yield surface, while the second is based on regularization of the Schmid law, which induces rounded corners at the yield surface. In both cases, the overall macroscopic behavior is derived from the behavior of the microscopic constituents (the single crystals) by using two different scale-transition schemes: the selfconsistent approach and the Taylor model. The simulation results show that the use of the classical Schmid law allows predicting localized necking at realistic strain levels for the whole range of strain paths that span the FLD. However, the application of a regularized Schmid law results in much higher limit strains in the range of negative strain paths. Moreover, rounding the yield surface vertices through regularization of the Schmid law leads to unrealistically high limit strains in the range of positive strain paths

Localized necking predictions based on rate-independent self-consistent polycrystal plasticity: Bifurcation analysis versus imperfection approach

The present study focuses on the development of a relevant numerical tool for predicting the onset of localized necking in polycrystalline aggregates. The latter are assumed to be representative of thin metal sheets. In this tool, a micromechanical model, based on the rate-independent self-consistent multi-scale scheme, is developed to accurately describe the mechanical behavior of polycrystalline aggregates from that of their single crystal constituents. In the current paper, the constitutive framework at the single crystal scale follows a finite strain formulation of the rate-independent theory of crystal elastoplasticity. To predict the occurrence of localized necking in polycrystalline aggregates, this micromechanical modeling is combined with two main strain localization approaches: the bifurcation analysis and the initial imperfection method. The formulation of both strain localization indicators takes into consideration the plane stress conditions to which thin metal sheets are subjected during deformation. From a numerical point of view, strain localization analysis with this crystal plasticity approach can be viewed as a strongly nonlinear problem. Hence, several numerical algorithms and techniques are developed and implemented in the aim of efficiently solving this non-linear problem. Various simulation results obtained by the application of the developed numerical tool are presented and extensively discussed. It is demonstrated from these results that the predictions obtained with the MarciniakeKuczynski procedure tend towards those yielded by the bifurcation theory, when the initial imperfection ratio tends towards zero. Furthermore, the above result is shown to be valid for both scale-transition schemes, namely the full-constraint Taylor model and self-consistent scheme

Prediction of Localized Necking Based on Crystal Plasticity: Comparison of Bifurcation and Imperfection Approaches

In the present work, a powerful modeling tool is developed to predict and analyze the onset of strain localization in polycrystalline aggregates. The predictions of localized necking are based on two plastic instability criteria, namely the bifurcation theory and the initial imperfection approach. In this tool, a micromechanical model, based on the self-consistent scale-transition scheme, is used to accurately derive the mechanical behavior of polycrystalline aggregates from that of their microscopic constituents (the single crystals). The mechanical behavior of the single crystals is developed within a large strain rate-independent constitutive framework. This micromechanical constitutive modeling takes into account the essential microstructure-related features that are relevant at the microscale. These microstructural aspects include key physical mechanisms, such as initial and induced crystallographic textures, morphological anisotropy and interactions between the grains and their surrounding medium. The developed tool is used to predict sheet metal formability through the concept of forming limit diagrams (FLDs). The results obtained by the self-consistent averaging scheme, in terms of predicted FLDs, are compared with those given by the more classical full-constraint Taylor model. Moreover, the predictions obtained by the imperfection approach are systematically compared with those given by the bifurcation analysis, and it is demonstrated that the former tend to the latter in the limit of a vanishing size for the initial imperfection

Ductility prediction of substrate-supported metal layers based on rate-independent crystal plasticity theory

In this paper, both the bifurcation theory and the initial imperfection approach are used to predict localized necking in substrate-supported metal layers. The self-consistent scale-transition scheme is used to derive the mechanical behavior of a representative volume element of the metal layer from the behavior of its microscopic constituents (the single crystals). The mechanical behavior of the elastomer substrate follows the neo-Hookean hyperelastic model. The adherence between the two layers is assumed to be perfect. Through numerical results, it is shown that the limit strains predicted by the initial imperfection approach tend towards the bifurcation predictions when the size of the geometric imperfection in the metal layer vanishes. Also, it is shown that the addition of an elastomer layer to a metal layer enhances ductility

Prediction of the ductility limit of sheet metals during forming processes using the loss of ellipticity approach

The prediction of the ductility limit of sheet metals during forming processes represents nowadays and ambitious challenge. To reach this goal, a new numerical approach, based on the loss of ellipticity criterion [1], is proposed in this work. A polycrystalline model is implemented as a user-material (UMAT) into ABAQUS FE code. The polycrystalline aggregate is associated with each integration point of the FE mesh. To derive the mechanical behavior of this polycrystalline aggregate from the behavior of its microscopic constituents, the self-consistent model is used [2]. The mechanical behavior of the single crystals is described by a finite strain rate-independent constitutive framework, where the Schmid law is used to model the plastic flow. The condition of loss of ellipticity at the macroscale, where the macroscopic behavior is derived by using the self-consistent scheme, is used as ductility criterion in the FE modeling. This numerical approach, which couples the FE method with the self-consistent scheme, is used to simulate some forming processes (deep drawing process, Nakazima test…), and the above criterion is used to predict the ductility limit of the studied sheets during these operations

Prediction of Plastic Instability in Sheet Metals During Forming Processes Using the Loss of Ellipticity Approach

The prediction of plastic instability in sheet metals during forming processes represents nowadays an ambitious challenge. To reach this goal, a new numerical approach, based on the loss of ellipticity criterion, is proposed in the present contribution. A polycrystalline model is implemented as a user-material subroutine into the ABAQUS/Implicit finite element (FE) code. The polycrystalline constitutive model is assigned to each integration point of the FE mesh. To derive the mechanical behavior of this polycrystalline aggregate from the behavior of its microscopic constituents, the multiscale self-consistent scheme is used. The mechanical behavior of the single crystals is described by a finite strain rateindependent constitutive framework, where the Schmid law is used to model the plastic flow. The condition of loss of ellipticity at the macroscale is used as plastic instability criterion in the FE modeling. This numerical approach, which couples the FE method with the self-consistent scheme, is used to simulate a deep drawing process, and the above criterion is used to predict the formability limit of the studied sheets during this operation

An elasto-plastic self-consistent model for damaged polycrystalline materials: Theoretical formulation and numerical implementation

Elasto-plastic multiscale approaches are known to be suitable to model the mechanical behavior of metallic materials during forming processes. These approaches are classically adopted to explicitly link relevant microstructural effects to the macroscopic behavior. This paper presents a finite strain elastoplastic self-consistent model for damaged polycrystalline aggregates and its implementation into ABAQUS/Standard finite element (FE) code. Material degradation is modeled by the introduction of a scalar damage variable at each crystallographic slip system for each individual grain. The single crystal plastic flow is described by both the classical and a regularized version of the Schmid criterion. To integrate the single crystal constitutive equations, two new numerical algorithms are developed (one for each plastic flow rule). Then, the proposed single crystal modeling is embedded into the self-consistent scheme to predict the mechanical behavior of elasto-plastic polycrystalline aggregates in the finite strain range. This strategy is implemented into ABAQUS/Standard FE code through a user-defined material (UMAT) subroutine. Special attention is paid to the satisfaction of the incremental objectivity and the efficiency of the convergence of the global resolution scheme, related to the computation of the consistent tangent modulus. The capability of the new constitutive modeling to capture the interaction between the damage evolution and the microstructural properties is highlighted through several simulations at both single crystal and polycrystalline scales. It appears from the numerical tests that the use of the classical Schmid criterion leads to a poor numerical convergence of the self-consistent scheme (due to the abrupt changes in the activity of the slip systems), which sometimes causes the computations to be prematurely stopped. By contrast, the use of the regularized version of the Schmid law allows a better convergence of the self-consistent approach, but induces an important increase in the computation time devoted to the integration of the single crystal constitutive equations (because of the high value of the power-law exponent used to regularize the Schmid yield function). To avoid these difficulties, a numerical strategy is built to combine the benefits of the two approaches: the classical Schmid criterion is used to integrate the single crystal constitutive equations, while its regularized version is used to compute the microscopic tangent modulus required for solving the self-consistent equations. The robustness and the accuracy of this novel numerical strategy are particularly analyzed through several numerical simulations (prediction of the mechanical behavior of polycrystalline aggregates and simulation of a circular cup-drawing forming process)

A new flat shell finite element for the linear analysis of thin shell structures

In this paper, a new rectangular flat shell element denoted ‘ACM_RSBE5’ is presented. The new element is obtained by superposition of the new strain-based membrane element ‘RSBE5’ and the well-known plate bending element ‘ACM’. The element can be used for the analysis of any type of thin shell structures, even if the geometry is irregular. Comparison with other types of shell elements is performed using a series of standard test problems. A correlation study with an experimentally tested aluminium shell is also conducted. The new shell element proved to have a fast rate of convergence and to provide accurate results