An Investigation into the Influence of Interrupted Loading in Improving the Stretch-Flangeability of Dual Phase Steel

Materials resistance to edge failure during sheet metal flanging operations is known as stretch-flangeability. It is one of the important concerns in the current automotive sector. Stretch flangeability of sheet metal is estimated by hole expansion test and commonly it is represented by hole expansion ratio (HER). The objective of the present work is to comprehend the hole expansion deformation behavior of DP600 steel. Firstly, finite element analysis was performed to understand the stress state at the edge during the hole expansion test. Thereafter, the effect of stress relaxation was studied by conducting hole expansion tests (HET) in monotonic and interrupted mode. Considerable improvement in the HER was observed. The HER was found to increase with the pre-strain. The combined effect of friction and stress relaxation played a crucial role in delaying the edge failure, resulting in the enhanced HER.