Modelling of a roll-forming process with a combined 2D and 3D FEM code

In roll-forming of steel sheets, flat strips are progressively deformed by successive sets of rotating rolls. A specific FE code, PROFIL, has been developed in order to analyse the complete strain history of the material, and it has the function to attain the optimisation of the design roll profiles. This design system is based on the elastic-plastic FEM, where a 2D cross-section analysis with moving boundary conditions is combined with a 3D analysis between a set of roll-stands. Deformed geometry and strain distributions predicted by simulations are compared with the results from previously conducted experiments. Channel sections of all types and complexity can be investigated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.