Numerical simulation study on the relationship between mechanical properties and forming conditions during incremental forming of magnesium alloys

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increasing study and application of magnesium alloy, a light metal with high specific strength. Incremental Forming is a technology that uses rapid prototyping and forming to efficiently and cost-effectively manufacture parts from sheet metal. In this paper, we analyze the true stress-strain curve of magnesium alloy during incremental forming using the extension principle of Mises yield criterion Hill48 yield criterion. We then input the curve and the intrinsic model of magnesium alloy into ABAQUS software for numerical simulation and analysis of the mechanical properties of magnesium alloy under forming conditions. The results show that as the temperature increases, the yield strength and tensile strength of the AZ31B magnesium alloy decrease, and the material’s resistance to deformation decreases. The yield and tensile strength of the magnesium alloy decreased to below 61 MPa and 71 MPa, respectively, upon increasing the experimental temperature to 280 °C. It was also found that the maximum equivalent stress and wall thickness reduction rate of magnesium alloy incrementally forming parts increased with the increase of layer spacing during incremental forming. The successful incremental forming of magnesium alloy depends on the selection and optimal combination of forming condition parameters, and this paper offers a robust experimental foundation for the rapid prototyping of magnesium alloy under incremental forming.