The EWI Forming Center Consortium (FCC) is a member-based industry and research group that offers its partners opportunities for cross-industry technical exchange, joint research, and shared services. Its goal is to advance sheet metal forming technology through organized and focused activities as applied to formability, lubricant evaluation, process design, and process innovation.
R&D projects for 2022 include the following:
- Improvement of the Machine-learning (ML) Based Control Algorithm for Springback
To improve the smart forming control algorithm, this project is evaluating die friction variation and elastic deflection of tooling in addition to the variation of the incoming material properties using the 3MA NDT sensor. The project will demonstrate upgraded control algorithm with a 3MA NDT sensor, inline camera sensors, lubricant film thickness measurement sensor, and digital twin model to control springback of the S-rail parts for six different sheet materials including Gen3 steel and AA5xxx-6xxx effectively.
- Stamping Evaluation of Laser-welded Blank Materials
Three LWB materials of different steel grades and gauges are being studied to obtain the formability limits and the springback variation of the AHSS LWB in conditions near stamping production. The springback change with the LWB will be obtained in stamping with the S-rail tool. The project will deliver recommendations for the welded blank design to avoid weld cracking and early necking.
Members of the FCC have access to all FCC projects, both past and present. Recently completed projects include:
- Real-time NDE-based Monitoring of Material Properties
- Intelligent Servo-controlled Forming Vehicle Structures
- Evaluating Lubricants and Tool Coatings for Warm Forming of Aluminum
- Automation Enhancement for the Intelligent Servo-controlled Forming Process
- Effect of Sheet Surface Finish on the Performance of Stamping Lubricants
- Intelligent Servo Forming for Springback Control
- Prediction of the Fracture in Forming of the Laser Welded Blank
To learn more about the EWI Forming Center Consortium, contact the FCC Director, Hyunok Kim at [email protected] or visit the EWI FCC webpage.