Simplified approaches for the prediction of deep-drawing ears

Publisher Summary The deep-drawing of cups is a very common forming process, where a circular flange is pushed by a punch through a die to give a cylindrical cup. As an example, this is the first step in the manufacturing of the billions of beverage cans produced annually from aluminum alloys or steel. One defect that may appear in this process is a wavy profile of the rim of the cup, with troughs alternating with peaks. It has been established clearly that this phenomenon is mainly because the in-plane anisotropy of the flange, which is closely connected with the crystallo-graphic texture of the material. The simulation of earing to optimize the texture and reduce this defect usually combines two approaches: (i) a more or less simplified stress and strain analysis of the process, and (ii) a model for relating the sheet mechanical behaviour to its texture.