Experimental and Simulation Studies of Erichsen Cupping Test on Aluminum(7075) Sheet Using Damage Theory

Sheet metal formation plays a cost-effective and significant role in the fabrication of automobile components. Typically, a forming limit diagram (FLD) is used to determine the strain limit of the material fracture during hot forming. In this study, the Erichsen cupping test is conducted on an Al(7075) sheet at 300, 350, 400, and 450 °C to determine the FLD. The results demonstrate the displacement increases with increasing temperature and load, and it is decreased at 450 °C. Finite element analysis (FEA) of the Erichsen cupping test of the Al sheet is performed with the damage theory using ABAQUS software, and the results are compared with the experimental results. To minimize errors in the Finite Element Analysis (FEA), simulations were conducted by applying the fracture energy value ( \({{G}}_{{f}}\) $G_f$ ). It was observed that the displacement increased in the load–displacement curve as the fracture energy value ( \({{G}}_{{f}}\) $G_f$ ) increased at all temperature values. Additionally, as the \({{G}}_{{f}}\) $G_f$ value increased with temperature, the energy absorption capacity until fracture also increased.