Novel finite element model of analyzing wall thickness during tube drawing considering raw tube’s thickness non-uniformity and die misalignment

Abstract

Conventional engineering analyses for tube drawing processes have assumed an ideal material with uniform initial tube thickness; however, these assumptions limit the ability to address quality issues in the manufacturing industry. In this study, we present a finite element analysis model to analyze the tube drawing process with non-uniformity of the initial tube thickness and misalignment of the drawing die, using the implicit elastoplastic finite element method with a multibody treatment scheme (MBTS). We specifically focus on tube eccentricity. The plug in the MBTS is regarded as a deformable body with any fixed boundary condition in the lateral direction. Our analysis results show that an adequately tilted drawing die substantially reduces the eccentricity and thickness non-uniformity. The predictions are validated by comparison with experimental results in the literature.