Investigation Progress on Numerical Prediction of Toughness Fracture in Incremental Forming of Aluminum Alloys for Aerospace Applications

GAO Zhengyuan; LI Peihao; LI Zhengfang; AN Zhiguo; LI Zhibing; SUN Pengfei; REN Zhong; LI Jiang; ZHANG Yi; QIAO Zhengyang

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.06.014

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (6) : 129-142. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.06.014

Light Alloy Forming

Investigation Progress on Numerical Prediction of Toughness Fracture in Incremental Forming of Aluminum Alloys for Aerospace Applications

GAO Zhengyuan¹, LI Peihao¹, LI Zhengfang^2*, AN Zhiguo¹, LI Zhibing¹, SUN Pengfei¹, REN Zhong³, LI Jiang⁴, ZHANG Yi⁴, QIAO Zhengyang⁵

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Abstract

With the advancement of the modern industry, lightweight manufacturing has become a critical development direction in the aerospace and automotive industries to meet the growing demand for high-precision customized components. Incremental forming technology, characterized by its flexible, die-less process, addresses the demands of high precision, low cost, and personalized production. Aluminum alloys, due to their excellent specific strength and formability, have become the preferred materials for incremental forming. However, their susceptibility to ductile fracture under complex stress conditions poses challenges to the quality and performance of formed components. In recent years, advancements in computational technologies have made finite element simulation, combined with ductile fracture criteria, a key tool for predicting aluminum alloy fracture during forming. This paper reviews constitutive models for plastic deformation and provides a detailed summary of the research progress on coupled ductile fracture criteria for macroscopic fast predictions and uncoupled criteria for microscopic high-precision simulations. The applicability and accuracy of various constitutive models and fracture criteria in incremental forming are explored, along with methods to improve forming performance and fracture prediction accuracy by optimizing process parameters such as mesh size, temperature, and toolpath. Additionally, experimental and numerical results validate the accuracy of simulations in predicting ductile fracture, and the influence of process parameters on the accuracy of material toughness fracture prediction is summarized. Therefore, future research should focus on enhancing forming performance and fracture prediction accuracy, developing more precise constitutive models and fracture criteria, optimizing process parameters such as mesh size, temperature, and toolpath, exploring fracture prediction methods of novel aluminum alloys and composites, and coupling these efforts with multi-field simulation techniques to support high-end manufacturing applications.

Key words

incremental forming / ductile fracture / aluminum alloy / finite element analysis / numerical prediction / fracture model

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GAO Zhengyuan, LI Peihao, LI Zhengfang, AN Zhiguo, LI Zhibing, SUN Pengfei, REN Zhong, LI Jiang, ZHANG Yi, QIAO Zhengyang. Investigation Progress on Numerical Prediction of Toughness Fracture in Incremental Forming of Aluminum Alloys for Aerospace Applications[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2025, 17(6): 129-142 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.06.014

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (22272013, 52205374); Scientific and Technological Research Program of Chongqing Science and Technology Bureau (cstc2021jcyj-msxmX1047); Special Basic Cooperative Research Programs of Yunnan Provincial Undergraduate Universities’ Association (202101BA070001-260)