Finite-element simulation of the bending process of steel/polymer/steel laminate sheets

Abstract A steel/polymer/steel three-layer laminate has been developed for weight reduction and vibration-damping of automobile parts and panels. The bending process of the laminate sheets is simulated by an incremental elasto-plastic finite-element method under the plane-strain condition with care taken to describe the boundary conditions of penetration, separation and alternation of the sliding—stricking state of friction. The simulation demonstrates clearly the processes of the generation of a folding defect in the laminate sheet at the bent flange and a shear defect between the two skin steel layers along the entire length of the laminate sheet. The calculated sheet geometries and the punch load—punch stroke relationship agree satisfactorily with the corresponding experimental results.