Experiment and simulation to rolled profile strip with variable thicknesses in lateral direction

Tailored blanks are widespread and gaining increasing use in the market with a competitive edge due to their load adaption, cost reduction through the efficient use of materials, and their lightweight design. In order to meet market demands and efficiently produce lightweight products, a new method is now developed to obtain strips with different thicknesses in the lateral direction, i.e., Rolled Profile Strips (RPS), by cold rolling. The new method includes bending-spreading rolling (BSR) and flattening rolling (FR). Experiments were performed to obtain RPS samples with a thickness ratio of 1:1.3. Then the deformation, metal flow, and stress-strain field in the BSR processes were simulated by FEM with ABAQUS software. The results indicate that the desired strips are obtained, whereby the thick areas undergo compressive deformation while the curved deformation area (thin area and transition areas) undergoes both tensile and compressive deformations. These findings will lay a foundation for the industrial application of RPSs.