Prediction of Eight Earings in Deep Drawing of 5754O Aluminum Alloy Sheet

Abstract Earings appear easily during deep drawing of cylindrical parts owing to the anisotropic properties of materials. However, current methods cannot fully utilize the mechanical properties of material, and the number of earings obtained differ with the simulation methods. In order to predict the eight-earing problem in the cylindrical deep drawing of 5754O aluminum alloy sheet, a new method of combining the yield stress and anisotropy index (r-value) to solve the parameters of the Hill48 yield function is proposed. The general formula for the yield stress and r-value in any direction is presented. Taking a 5754O aluminum alloy sheet as an example in this study, the deformation area in deep drawing is divided into several equal sectorial regions based on the anisotropy. The parameters of the Hill48 yield function are solved based on the yield stress and r-value simultaneously for the corresponding deformation area. Finite element simulations of deep drawing based on new and existing methods are carried out for comparison with experimental results. This study provides a convenient and reliable way to predict the formation of eight earings in the deep drawing process, which is expected to be useful in industrial applications. The results of this study lay the foundation for the optimization of the cylindrical deep drawing process, including the optimization of the blank shape to eliminate earing defects on the final product, which is of great importance in the actual production process.