Investigation of various necking criteria for sheet metal formability analysis using digital image strain data

The precise determination of the forming limit strains of a sheet metal is necessary in order to accurately predict the onset of failure in sheet metal forming processes. The method used to detect the onset of necking (i.e. the necking criterion) is a most important factor in formability analysis as it significantly affects the forming limit strains. Many different necking criteria have been developed, which take advantage of the flexibility and high resolution of digital image correlation (DIC) strain measurements. Several time-dependent and time/geometry-dependent necking criteria were carefully investigated in order to evaluate their ability to reliably and consistently detect the onset of necking of TRIP780 sheet specimens that were stretch-formed over a hemispherical punch. It was found that the geometry-dependent, surface slope criterion was the most robust and consistent criterion of those evaluated.