Numerical simulation of a pyramid steel sheet formed by single point incremental forming using solid-shell finite elements

Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) is an interesting manufacturing process due to
its dieless nature and its increased formability compared to conventional forming processes. Nevertheless, the process suffers from large geometric deviations when compared to the original CAD profile. One particular example arises when analyzing a truncated two-slope pyramid. In this paper, a finite element simulation of this geometry is carried out using a newly implemented solid-shell element, which is based on the Enhanced Assumed Strain (EAS) and the Assumed Natural Strain (ANS) techniques. The model predicts the shape of the pyramid very well, correctly representing the springback and the through thickness shear (TTS). Besides, the effects of the finite element mesh refinement, the EAS and ANS techniques on the numerical prediction are presented. It is shown that the EAS modes included in the model have a significant influence on the accuracy of the results.