Numerical Study on Asymmetrical Rolled Aluminum Alloy Sheets Using the Visco-Plastic Self-Consistent (VPSC) Method

Asymmetric rolling is a forming process that has raised interest among researchers due to the significant improvements it introduces to the mechanical response of metals. The main objective of the present work is to perform a numerical study on asymmetrical rolled aluminum alloy sheets to identify and correlate the effect of the additional shear strain component on the material formability, tensile strength, and texture orientations development during multi-pass metal forming. Conventional (CR), asymmetric continuous (ASR-C), and asymmetric rolling-reverse (ASR-R) simulations were carried out using the visco-plastic self-consistent (VPSC) code. For the ASR process, two different shear strain values were prescribed. Moreover, two hardening models were considered: a Voce-type law and a dislocation-based model that accounts for strain path changes during metal forming. Results showed that the ASR process is able to improve the plastic strain ratio and tensile strength. The ASR-C revealed better results, although the expected shear orientations are only evident in the ASR-R process.