1 Set of Roller

I. Drawing the rollers

Rollers for the simulation is drawn using CAD software QCAD. Simufact
Forming 16.0 supports import function of .dxf file as it can create a revolved model of the
rollers using the 2D drawing of the rollers.

Draw the die contour by using QCAD

Step 1: Select horizontal line.

1. Draw the horizontal line C
of lower die (46.6mm).
Origin point

Note: This toolbar contains tools

to setup your model

Step 2: Draw the 30 degree slope

line about 46mm.
1. Click the end point of the
horizontal line.
2. Draw the 46mm slope
Origin point End point
line.

Note: You can import the

geometry in any type of supported
files by the software.
 C
Step 3: Create upper die contour.
1. Draw the upper die horizontal
line (49.5mm) from the origin
at height of 4mm (thickness of
workpiece) from lower die’s
line.

Step 4: Draw the vertical line.

(120mm)

Step 5: By using the fillet. Create

4mm radius between at the edge.

C
Step 6: Using the mirror feature to
mirror the whole sketches because
we creating the contour of
symmetry dies. Select the two
point as axis (along the yellow
lines).
Creating New Project

Step 1: Open Simufact Forming. Click on

the File tab and select New project.
1. Click at the File located at the right-
top of the window.
2. Choose New project to create new
simulation.

Step 2: Choose the Sheet Forming process

that is going to be done.

Step 3: Sheet metal forming initial set up.

1. Determine the type of the forming to
be done.
2. Choose Roll forming and set the
temperature to 20oC.
3. Choose cold forming.
4. Click to confirm the
selection.
Insert press to the work tree
Step 1:
1. Start by clicking on the Insert.
2. Click the Press dropdown menu and select Manual.
3. Change the press type to tabular motion.
4. Press the plus icon to add the velocity and time.
Edit roller model geometry
Step 1:
1. Set the rotation angle whether want to revolve what degree.
2. Set the start point of the roller and offset which is distance between rollers.

3. After we have click then the added geometry will show at the right side of the
work tree as shown in figure 6.
Assign die into press.
1. Right-click at RollFormFe3D.
2. Click Insert then choose Dies.
3. Choose from existing geometries added in the previous steps.

4. Refer figure below, then the added die will display and tick all the die and attach to
press Table.
Create Workpiece
Step 1:
1. Start by right-clicking on the worktree.
2. Click the Geometry > Roll Forming.
3. Select the Initial sheet.

Step 2:
1. Define the length, width and height of workpiece. Input 1200 mm for length (z-
direction), 236 mm for width (x-direction), and 4 mm for thickness (y-direction).

2. Tick on the using symmetry option. This only applicable for symmetry workpiece only.

3. To create a refine meshing in the bending area, double-click on the sheet to bring up
the refinement meshing window. For the refinement mesh, the bending zone (which in
40 mm – 60 mm in x-direction) is defined. Set element length to 1 mm with 4 targeted
layers.
 C

Simulation Strategy
1. For fine-tuning or evaluation of such as bending and thickness after roll forming, it
is suggested a fine mesh with a short length such as the model with 150 mm long
sheet.
2. If a distortion in long direction is needed, the model with the whole length 1800
mm and coarse mesh (e.g. only 1 element in thickness direction). If the whole
model is always wanted for evaluation, a simulation with coarse mesh as start.
3. For this target the element size is in Z direction 2 mm and in X 1 mm. For the
bending area (+/- 6. 8 to 16.8 mm) the element size in X direction is set as 0.25 mm
with three elements in thickness direction.

4. With a coarse mesh some details may be lost in simulation, but how great the
influence would be is unknown. For only a distortion in Z direction only one
element in thickness direction is sufficient, whereas for bending better with at least.
2 elements in thickness direction.
II. Remeshing function

Create remeshing function to workpiece

1. To create the remeshing function,
click on the Remeshing > Manual.
2. Due to the remeshing feature not
being provided, it is advised to make
sure that the remeshing function is set
to Never.
3. After completing this, click to
confirm the selection.

Note: If the remeshing function is not

disabled, the simulation cannot be completed.
The simulation will stop halfway before the
error window pops up indicating that the
feature for the remeshing is not available.
Insert material
Step 1: Using the material library.
1. In the LHS window, click on the Material > Library to create a material based on
the Simufact material library.

2. Use the search bar to find the desired material for the metal workpiece. Do note that
the same materials may have different conditions, ie: Temperature range, area of
application etc. Choose the desired material which is the SUS304.
3. Double clicking the material selected can bring up the material properties window.
The hardening model, plasticity and other properties can be found here.

C
 C

4. Once the right material is selected, click Okay to confirm the selection.
Step 2: Create material manually.
Sometimes, the material that is being used for the simulation differs from the one available in
the material library of Simufact Forming. To use this material, the user can self-define the
material using the manual material option.
1. Click on the Material > Manual option.

2. There are several tabs that the user can customize, including the naming and labelling, the
properties, flow curve model and other mechanical properties.
 C

3. To insert the mechanical properties, click on the Mechanical properties tab. Input the
values according to the material used for the sheet.

4. For defining the plasticity model, click the Flow curve tab. Two options can be used
which are by using table and analytical. Click on Analytical to use the mathematical
equation for the simulation.
5. Choose the Cold Forging Equation 1 to simulate the Swift’s Isotropic Hardening model.
Click the button to add the material properties.

C
Insert Symmetry plane, Constraint plane and FE contact table
Step 1:
1. Due to the sheet being modelled as half, symmetry plane needs to be established. To do
this, click on the Insert > Symmetry plane.

2. Once the window pops up, rotate the model to find the plane where the symmetry plane
will be created.

Side plane
Symmetry
Plane

3. Click on the plane. The plane will then appears indicating that the plane has been created.
Click to confirm the process.
Step 2: Create constraint plane for the sheet
1. The constraint plane is done to make sure that the sheet stays in place. To create
constraint plane, click on the Insert > Constraint plane.

2. Choose the planes that need to be constraint. In this case, the constraint planes need to be
created at the front end and the back end of the sheet.

Front and end

plane
3. Once the plane is created, click to confirm the creation.

Step 3: Insert Contact table

1. Contact table needs to be established to make sure that the sheet and the rollers
contact perfectly.
2. To create the contact table, click on the Insert > FE contact table. This will bring up
the contact table window.

3. In the contact table window, click on the sheet to activate the contact.

4. Tick on all the components to make sure that they are applied to the sheet.
 C

5. Set the value at Constraint and Constraint2 to make the workpiece stick at same
position.

C
Add the Temperature
It is the mandatory parameter that needs for the simulation in order for it to start executing. It
if is absent, the simulation cannot start.
1. Right-click on the work tree on the right. Choose Heat > Die > Library.
2. Then a window will pop out and show the temperature setting for the Die. The first one is
the normal or constant temperature of the die. Set it to normal cold forming temperature
which is 20 Celsius. Below that is heat transfer coefficient to environment from the die.
The higher value of coefficient the easier heat being transfer or distributed to environment.
3. Step number 3 similar with step number 2, but it is the temperature for the Workpiece.
Also there have the setting for the coefficient of the heat transfer.

C
Add the Friction
Step 1: Right-click on the right
work tree.
1. Choose Friction then pick
Library.
2. In the library there are C
C
three options. For instance,
choose sheet as the product
involved is in form of sheet
metal.
3. After that, a window will
come out and show 4
different type of friction
which are Coulomb, C
Shear, Combined and
IFUM. Choose the
Coulomb then it will show
the coefficient of the
selected friction.

Note: The friction type can affect

the output value such as stress-
strain value depending on the
value coefficient.
 C

Determine the Forming adjustment

It is for the optimization of process and also for accurate output result.
1. Set the division type to 100.
2. Click tick at total strain tensor for more accurate output value.
3. Change to Manual, then click tick for auto step for tables for the process to
synchronize the time to simulate with the speed that have been set at the press table.
4. User can determine the number of core that available in their pc. To save time, it is
advise to use 6 cores if the computer has 8 cores.

Run the Simulation

After all the parameters have been applied, there will be some alerts that will inform the
user whether there is an error or a warning. The error that occurs must be overcome in
order for the simulation to run properly. But for the warning, the appropriate method for
the warning to be solved can simply be ignored or implemented.
1. To run the simulation, locate the icon to start the simulation. Click on the icon
and continue with the simulation.

2. Click on Okay to continue with the analysis. To check for the data log of the
simulation, the button can be located at the same location of the Run button.

Data analysis using the data query function

1. To get the data for the properties of the sheet after undergoing the roll forming, data
query function needs to be selected.
2. Find the query symbol below the top tab. Click on the logo to bring up the new
window.

3. The user needs to select the desired point for the analysis based on the sheet. In this
case, select the point located 1.5 mm away from the strip edge.

4. After selecting the point, click on the graph icon to construct a graph based on
the data collected.
5. Tick on the time history box to plot the graph.
6. The components for X and Y axis can be chosen by the user according to the
desired result that want to be obtain.

7. To save the graph, click on the save icon to save into .jpeg file or any other
type of file.
8. Click the close button to dismiss the window.
 Example of data that can be processed from the query function:
Metal springback
Spring back refers to as a condition where the metal is trying to return into its
previous state. During the rolling, the metal is forced to bend in certain direction to form a
shape. Due to the metal characteristics, some will develop spring back. To analyze this
using the query function, user can use spreadsheet software to plot a graph on the spring
back.
1. After using the query function, select the X-displacement result to get the data.
2. To select a point for the data, click on the inner edge of the sheet. The points should
be along the sheet. The user can change between node mode or free mode when
placing a point.
3. After all the points are being selected, transfer the data into the MS Excel.
4. Create table using the obtained data.
5. Make sure that the X-displacement is in Y-axis and points in X-axis.