Lagrangian and Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian Simulations of Complex Roll Forming Processes

Finite element simulation of the roll forming process is regarded as an essential tool for the early design and optimization stages of a roll forming mill. However, such simulations are generally incredibly time-consuming, limited to some simple cases and to the pre-cut forming method.
In contrast to the classical Lagrangian approach, the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) formalism, which consists in decoupling the motion of the material and the mesh, can simulate the continuous process for the entire roll forming line at reasonable CPU cost by using a nearly-stationary mesh.
In this work, the numerical results are compared to some experimental data on a U-channel in order to validate both Lagrangian and ALE models using our in-house code METAFOR. Furthermore, advantages of the ALE formalism are highlighted with the simulation of a tubular rocker panel on a 16-stand forming mill, which is a real industrial mill.