Using the Taguchi Method for Experimental and Numerical Investigations on the Square-Cup Deep-Drawing Process for Aluminum/Steel Laminated Sheets

Abstract

The effects of input parameters on the square-cup deep-drawing process for a two-layer aluminum/steel laminated sheet were investigated. Each layer was 0.7 mm thick, and the input parameters covered in the investigation were punch nose radius (PR), die shoulder radius (DR), the clearance between a punch and die (CPD), blank holder force (BHF), and layer arrangement (LA). The effects of the input parameters on wrinkling and thinning defects were determined by finite element simulation and Taguchi's design of experiments. Experimental tests were conducted to validate the finite element analysis results. Results indicated that the parameter exerting the greatest effect on thinning defects was PR, followed by LA relative to the other parameters. BHF had the highest influence on the wrinkle height of the two-layer aluminum/steel sheet. Optimization was conducted, and the optimum input parameter values that caused the least wrinkling and thinning defects were 5.35 mm for DR, 8.35 mm for PR, 6000 N for BHF, and 1.3 t for CPD.