Numerical Simulation of the Forming of a Seamless Elbow Using Abaqus.

E. Salas Zamarripa1, M.P. Guerrero Mata1, R. Cols1, P. Fodor2

Universidad Autnoma de Nuevo Lon, Fac. de Ing. Mecnica y Elctrica Pedro de Alba S/N, Cd. Universitaria, San Nicols de los Garza, N.L. 66450 MEXICO 2 Empresas Riga S.A. de C.V. Carretera Monterrey-Laredo Km 24.2, Cinega de Flores, N.L. 65550 MEXICO
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Abstract
By means of the commercial package Abaqus, using its explicit module, a model for the high temperature forming of a seamless elbow was achieved. The results of the strain and stress distributions predicted by the numerical model were compared with the results experimentally obtained by the visioplasticity method. For both models a straight seamless pipe of 2.7 cm internal diameter, 6 mm thickness and 31.7 cm long, was used as preform. The mechanical properties of the material were introduced into the package from the results of a set of axial compression tests carried out at high temperature, 800 C. The material used for the forming process and for the testing was an ASTM A-106 steel. The tools were model as an undeformable solid. It is hope to used the numerical model to perform a further optimization of the tools, in order to improve the thickness uniformity of the elbows.

Introduction
The forming of seamless elbows is a hot working procedure based on plastic deformation and cyclic heating, care has to be taken to ensure the dimensional uniformity of the final thickness of the elbow. The practice has shown that the final shape of the deformed piece depends on the shape of the tooling. Different designs of tools are used in the process, therefore the aim of this work is to obtain a reliable model of the process in order to use it to perform a further optimization of the tooling design [1,2]. An horizontal press is used for forming the elbows, and the change of shape involved is accomplished when the performs are forced through a mandrel that is located at the end of the extension shaft, Figure 1 shows a diagram of the forming operation. The elbows are fabricated from straight seamless steel pipe of low to medium carbon steel, the starting shapes are cut depending on the size and wall thickness of the final product. Numerical simulation has been used in the past to model the forging process above described [3], however, those trails have been came out with not very good results. Since the problem to solve is a difficult one, however this new model tries to overcome the limitations of the others using the explicit module.

Experimental Procedure
In order to gain a deeper understanding and a better control of the process different studies and experimental trails have been carried out, these are reported in detail in other works [3,4], first the problem of the cyclic heating was attacked and afterwards the deformation problem. Samples were taken from seamless pipes before the process to obtain the material properties, the samples were machine into cylindrical samples of 10mm diameter and 15mm height, the lubricant used at the plant was also used during the axial compression testing, tests were performed at 800C. The results of the testing were averaged and used into the numerical model, Table 1 reports the values. The visioplasticity method was used to find the final strains and stress develop during the forming of the elbow. To carry out the test, a grid was scribed on the seamless pipe, the gridded pipe is presented in Figure 2, as well as the mandrel. In Figure 3 the formed elbow can be seen with 2002 ABAQUS Users Conference 1

the grid on it. The values of the grid are measured and recorded before and after the deformation and the using the slip line field theory the stresses and strains are found [5-7]. The pipe used for the visioplasticity was 2.7 cm internal diameter, 6 mm thickness and 31.7 cm long, was divided at 30 obtaining 12 segments of 1.5 cm each and 19 segments of 1.5 cm of the long.

Numerical Procedure
For the numerical model the commercial finite element package Abaqus, was used. The model was obtained in three dimensions (3D); using the explicit module, only half of the geometry was simulated. The geometry of the mandrel was created in the preprocessor of the package Ansys then imported to Abaqus via iges files, whereas the pipe was directly created in Abaqus. The stresses and strains were analysed throughout the whole process as well as the shape of the elbow. Temperature was not taken into account, but the properties of the material were those at the working temperature. The initial materials properties and the hardening parameters were fed into the model as a table from the results of a series of compression tests performed in a previous work (Table 1) [3]. The boundary conditions were taken from the information gathered from the process plant. In the model a fixed displacement was imposed over the extremes of the perform not in contact with the mandrel. The elements used in the model were for the mandrel R3D4, to simulate a undeformable rigid surface, and for the pipe the type used was C3D4, Figure 4 shows the mandrel and the seamless pipe with the mesh before deformation. The temperature changes associated to the forming process, although are very imported, for this model were neglected.

Results
In Figure 5 shows the deformed mesh of the elbow, one to one comparison was not possible with the experimental tests, because of the mesh used for the pipe, however, two elements in the upper part of the elbow and two in the lower one, were identified and the values of equivalent plastic strain and Von Mises stress were compare with the results obtained with the visioplasticity method. Figure 6 and 7 show the Von Mises stresses for the upper and lower sides of the pipe when half the deformation has been achieved. Figure 8 presents the plastic equivalent strain. Table 2 contains the values of the deformation found experimentally, the values are reported according to angular position, only six positions were reported, since only half the geometry was simulated, according to the symmetry. Figure 8 and Table 2 can be compared and the trend of the strain is similar in both cases, for the upper part of the pipe or elbow, the strains are very low and for the lower part, inner part of the curvature of the mandrel, the strains are very high, by a factor of two, in both cases the numerical and the experimental model. However for the numerical the difference between the upper and lower parts is different by a factor of 3. Although the final results of the numerical model have not been found, it is expected that these will follow a similar path. The difference between the numerical and the experimental model can be explained in term of the thermal contributions.

Conclusions
A better model should be perused before carry out any optimization, the model must include the thermal effects, also different meshes could be used and analyze the advantages.

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References
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. J.C. Gelin, O. Ghouati, The inverse approach for the determination of constitutive equations in metal forming, Annals of the CIRP, Manufacturing Technology, 1995, Vol. 44, No.1, pp 189-192. D.R.J. Owen, The Design and Optimisation of Forging Systems by Numerical Simulation, Bench Mark, December 1993, pp 36-41. J. A. Lpez Cavazos, Master thesis, Universidad Autnoma de Nuevo Lon, 2001. A. Rodrguez, M. Mezzetti, P. Fodor, R. Cols, Forming of seamless pipe fittings, Journal of materials processing technology, articule in press accepted November 2001. J.H. Beynon, C.M.Sellars, Strain Distribution Patterns during Plane Strain Compression Testing, Journal of Testing and Evaluation, January 1985, No.13, pp28-38. N.R. Chitkara, M.A. Butt, A General Numerical Method of Construction of Axisymmetric Slip-Line Fields, Int. Journal of Mechanical Science, 1992, Vol. 34 No. 11, pp 833-848. G.E Dieter, Mechanical Metallurgy, McGraw Hill Inc. 4th. Ed. 1988.

Tables

Table 1
0.0182 0.0323 0.0456 0.0598 0.0735 0.0873 0.1011 0.1331 0.1790 0.2249 0.2707 0.3165 0.3322 0.4079 0.4536 0.5402 (Mpa) 101.14 113.84 122.93 129.85 135.35 140.17 144.17 152.11 161.40 168.94 175.68 180.51 181.60 185.84 187.06 188.92

Table 2
Angular position 1.25 15 1.07 45 0.94 75 0.80 105 0.67 135 0.62 165

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Figures

Figure 1 Diagram of the furnace and ancillary equipment required for forming the elbows [1].

Figure 2 a) Madrel use in the forming operation, b) gridded seamless pipe.

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Figure 3 Final shape of the gridded elbow.

Figure 4 Mandrel and pipe meshed, before deformation.

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Figure 5 Mandrel and pipe meshed, after deformation.

Figure 6 Von Mises Stress for half the total deformation of the pipe, upper side of the pipe.

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Figure 7 Von Mises Stress for half the total deformation of the pipe, inner side of the pipe.

Figure 8 Equivalent plastic strain at half deformation of the pipe.

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Acknowledgment The authors thank the support and facilities provided by CONACYT, SIREYES, FIMEUANL, Mexico, as well as the material and industrial facilities provided by Empresas Riga, S.A. de C.V. M.P.G.M. recognizes the support provided by PAICYT-UANL

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