A main source of noise in refrigeration systems is the compressor. It is important for the engineer to choose the right materials when defining quieter components or to modify products for the purpose of making them quieter. A material for such purpose is steel laminate.Steel/adhesive/steel laminated sheet has received attention in home appliances, automotive and aerospace industries for their superior noise and sound damping properties [1][2][3][4][5]. Nonetheless, the forming process simulation of laminated sheets is still a challenge because of the significant difference in material properties and thickness between the polymer core and the skin steel. One of the quality criterions in sheet metal formed part is thickness distribution. In this study, the thickness reductions of laminated sheet are obtained using finite element forming analysis. The simulation results are used for the on-going static, random vibration (PSD) and fatigue analysis.Moreover, the thickness reductions can be used as indicator for the delamination analysis [5].The formability of laminated steel depends on process parameters such as punch speed, friction coefficient, and blank holder force. The effects of these parameters on the simulation results are studied. Simulation results show that blank holder force has significant effect on the thickness reduction.Based on the simulation result, prototype parts of laminated sheet are formed. Microscope observation on prototype part shows that the FEA results are in good agreement with prototype observations.
Experiments for material propertiesThe properties of the steel coupons were obtained from tensile tests. The tests were conducted on coupons that were 0.7 mm thick, under displacement control at nominal rates of 0.05 mm/s. The strains were monitored by a strain gauge placed at the center of the specimen.