Three-dimensional finite-elements modeling and simulation of rotary-draw bending process for thin-walled rectangular tube

According to the characteristics of the rotary-draw bending process of a thin-walled rectangular tube, a three-dimensional finite-elements model of this process is built under the ABAQUS/explicit environment based on the solution of several key techniques, such as contact boundary condition treating, material properties definition, meshing technology, etc. The actions of pressure die, wiper die, clamp die and mandrel are considered in the modeling process. Then the reliability of the model is validated by comparison with experiments in the literature. Furthermore, numerical simulation and analysis of the thin-walled rectangular tube bending process of 3A21 aluminum alloy have been carried out by using the model. The distribution laws of tangential stress in the process have been analyzed. The results show that the maximum tangential stress increases sharply in the initial stage and then keeps nearly constant with the progress of the bending process. The circumferential compressive stress zone is basically unchanged when the bending process becomes stable. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.