Experimental Investigation and Finite Element Simulation of Effect of Mechanical Properties of Elastic Cushion on Spring-Back in Multi-Point Forming Process

Multi-Point forming technology has gained a great attention in recent years, in order to reduce die design time andmanufacturing costs of sheet metal parts. In this process an elastic cushion is used in order to distribute the loads applied onthe sheet by the punch elements. Mechanical properties and thickness of the elastic cushion can affect sheet metalformability during the forming process. In this study, the effects of these parameters on spring-back and dimensionalaccuracy of formed parts have been investigated. The forming process has been examined by using different elasticcushions with different thickness. The obtained results indicated that mechanical properties and thickness of elastic cushionhave considerable effect on the spring-back and in order to produce parts with good quality and high dimensional accuracythe appropriate selection of the elastic cushion is very important.