Numerical Investigation on Key Process Parameters Affecting Blanking of Steel Sheet by Using Finite Element Method

The cutting surface obtained through the blanking process is often characterized by localized plastic deformations followed by crack propagation and ductile failure. The resulting blanked edge is essentially characterized by known areas such as shear zone, fracture zone and also sometimes burr. Their formation depends essentially on various process parameters and cutting material such as punch/die set, punch speed and temperature. The present study was carried out in order to investigate the possibilities for improving the quality of the cut-surface of high-alloy thick sheet steel. It was focused on modeling and analyzing blanking process of steel sheet using finite element method (FEM). The numerical results of the validation simulations were in agreement with the experimental results, thus validating the model parameters used. The model was developed in order to study the effects of process parameters on the blanking of mechanical steel parts, with particular attention to the study of punch-die gap influence.