A new experimental test apparatus for angle binder draw bead simulations

A novel device for obtaining pulling and holding forces for draw bead tooling on inclined binder surfaces has been developed. A mechanical design featuring two load cells, a male–female draw bead set, translation and rotation degrees of freedom, and a screw-driven clamping system has been incorporated into a standard tensile test machine. On a real time basis, pulling force, holding force, and draw-in displacement are downloaded directly into a PC for data processing. Results for the sheet metal materials considered confirm quantitatively that the binder angle significantly influences the draw bead pulling force. For example, for the materials, bead penetrations, and bead geometries studied, the pulling force at a 20° binder angle ranged from 55% to 96% of that corresponding to a 0° binder angle. The pulling force data are useful for the purpose of theoretical and numerical draw bead model calibration. The proposed experimental system, called the Oakland University Angle Draw Bead Simulation (OU-ADBS) test, represents a significant breakthrough in draw bead simulation technology due to its relatively low cost and clever design.