Numerical simulation of 3D powder compaction processes using cone-cap plasticity theory

In this paper, the numerical simulation of powder compaction processes is presented using a three-dimensional cap plasticity model. A cone-cap density-dependent plasticity model is developed based on a combination of a convex yield surface consisting of a failure envelope and a hardening elliptical cap for nonlinear behavior of powder materials in the concept of the generalized plasticity formulation. A general algorithm for the cap plasticity from the viewpoint of efficient numerical modeling is presented. The cap plasticity is performed within the framework of large FE deformation, in order to predict the non-uniform relative density distribution during powder die pressing. Finally, the numerical simulation is illustrated in the modeling of 3D multi-level components.