Blank design for deep drawn parts using parametric NURBS surfaces

Deep drawing is a forming process controlled by a number of parameters. The initial blank shape is one of the most important process parameter that has a direct impact on the quality of the finished part. This paper describes a new method to determine the optimal blank shape for a formed part using the deformation behaviour predicted by finite element simulations and salient features of NURBS surfaces. The proposed optimization method involves an initial blank shape, which is iteratively trimmed according to the deep drawing simulations results, to achieve the final optimal blank shape. The deep drawing simulations were carried out using DD3IMP, an implicit in-house finite element code. Parametric NURBS surfaces are used to optimize the initial blank shape based on the deformation behaviour predicted by numerical simulation. The proposed method can determine the optimal blank shape for any part within a few iterations.