The effect of forming surface interference on Thin-Walled profiles during the discontinuous forming process with discrete molds

This study aims to investigate the influence of the roller dies’ characteristics of shapes on the forming results in the roller-based flexible multi-point three-dimensional stretch bending forming (FSBRD) process for thin-walled profiles, as well as the prediction of mold-induced impressions during the FSBRD process. Considering the specific contact mode, an L-shaped section profile’s flange was selected as the research object to analyze the impact of the roller dies’ slot’s geometric parameters on the product. A classification model of the contact between the profile’s flange and the roller die was established for the vertical bending process, and the maximum theoretical interference value (i_max) was calculated to predict the extent of local deformation after contact. Subsequently, finite element software was used to model the process and analyze the changes in equivalent plastic strain (PEEQ) of the deformation results when using roller dies with slots of different parameters, including straight, inclined, and arc-shaped slots. The analysis results indicate that the width of the straight slot has a significant influence on the forming quality of the product, as a smaller slot width leads to larger local dimples on the product surface. Replacing the straight slot with an inclined or arc-shaped slot improves the abrupt changes in local PEEQ, resulting in reduced macroscopic local dimples. The simulation results align with the analytical model’s variation of i_max. This study defined the theoretical contact angle γ and introduced the concept of the contact area and the local theoretical interference zone, providing a reasonable explanation for the observed PEEQ variations. Furthermore, based on the conclusions of the research above, modified experiments were designed, resulting in favorable forming effects. The validation of the simulation results was performed by comparing the local dimples in the contact zone of the actual experimental results.