Hot rolling of an aluminum–copper sandwich flat strip with the three-dimensional finite element method

The symmetrical rolling of 3D sandwich flat strips with a thermo-elastic–plastic coupled model was studied under the assumption of an elastic roller and the consideration of heat transfer. Aluminum–copper sandwich flat strips were used in this study. The effect of different functions of the flow stress on the strip appearance after rolling were explored. The numerical analytical model of symmetrical rolling for 3D sandwich flat strip with a thermo-elastic–plastic coupled model was developed based on the large-deformation–large-strain theory, the updated Lagrangian formulation and the incremental principle. Further, the flow stress was considered as the function of strain, strain rate and temperature. The theoretical model of the finite element method containing a two-order strain-rate formulation acted as the basis for determining the convergence of simulation results. Before the aluminum–copper sandwich flat strip was simulated first an aluminum–mild steel sandwich flat strip was simulated. The average rolling force of the simulation results was compared with experimental findings to establish that the simulation program proposed in this study is reasonable. In addition, the equivalent strain, and the equivalent strain rate of the aluminum–copper sandwich strip during rolling were analyzed and compared with those for the flat rolling of a single aluminum layer.