An assessment of finite element software for application to the roll-forming process

The roll forming industry has many difficulties in product development and process set-up. The design and development of rolls and processes are mainly based on trial-and-error and past experiences. Recent industrial trends demand products having high quality and tight tolerances. This requires more precise and cost-effective roll-forming processes than the ones employed in the traditional product development methods. SHAPE is a reliable FE based solution provider, which covers a wide range of roll forming and rotary forming simulations including ring rolling, tube spinning, flow forming, and thread rolling. It also provides powerful analysis tools for heat transfer, roll stress and microstructure analyses. In this chapter the technical capability of SHAPE for roll forming is assessed by studying an industrial problem. The accuracy and robustness of the software is evaluated using machine shop results. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.