New methodologies for determining the fracture forming limits in bulk forming

Project name: New methodologies for determining the fracture forming limits in bulk forming

Project code: FORMIDABLE

Project timeline: 2025 - 2026

Research group: Manufacturing and Industrial Management

Objective

This Project aims to address important key questions that are necessary to understand and enhance the applicability of digital twins in bulk forming, such as: Are fracture forming limits (FFLs) determined by upset compression tests applicable to multi-stage forming operations undergoing complex, non-monotonic strain loading paths? Are the FFLs applicable to cracks triggered under three-dimensional states of stress, often hidden inside the parts or along contact interfaces with tooling? Can flaws be explained and their occurrence predicted by the fracture forming limit by shear, instead of resorting to microstructure explanations based on undesirable deformed grain patterns or macroscopic explanations built upon velocity discontinuities between adjacent volume regions inside the parts? The aim of this research project is to find answers to these questions, which are of paramount importance to the numerical simulation of bulk forming processes, by investigating the characterization of fracture forming limits in bulk forming under complex, non-monotonic, and/or hidden strain loading paths.

Project team

Publications