A new model for springback prediction in which the Bauschinger effect is considered

Springback prediction is an important issue for the sheet metal forming industry. Most sheet metal elements undergo a complicated cyclical deformation history during the forming process. For an accurate prediction of springback, the Bauschinger effect must be considered to determine accurately the internal stress distribution within the sheet metal after deformation. Based on the foundations for isotropic hardening and kinematic hardening, Mroz multiple surface model, plane strain assumptions, and experimental observations, a new incremental method and hardening model is proposed in this paper. This new model compares well with the experimental results for aluminum sheet metal undergoing multiple-bending processes. As is well known, aluminum is one of the most difficult sheet metals to simulate. The new hardening model proposed in this paper is not only a generic model for springback prediction but also a hardening model for sheet metal forming process simulation.