Industrial experiences of stochastic simulations of sheet metal forming

Paper in proceeding, 2007

Volvo Cars has since the end of year 2004 run an internal research project with the purpose of evaluating the possibilities and limitations of stochastic simulations. This paper will give a general overview of the results so far, and some ideas for the future. Two cases will be presented where stochastic simulations have been applied. The first study concerned a panel that fractured in production from time to time, despite the fact that forming simulations of this part showed no major problems. It was therefore considered to be an interesting application for stochastic simulations. The second study addresses the influence from material properties and production parameter scatter on springback results. The results from these simulations will also be compared with production measurements. The paper will also discuss and give examples of determination of input parameters, and the influence they have on the results. Another issue is how to analyze and present the large amount of information that is available in a stochastic simulation. Some lessons learned at VCC regarding these issues will be presented. Finally, the number of simulations needed for acceptable results will also be analyzed