INTRODUCTION

• The aim of industrial applications of drawing process simulations is to replace the physical tryout by the computer tryout for time and cost reduction as well as quality improvement in the die design/manufacturing cycle

• In recent years, Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) have been intensively applied to automobile components to improve crashworthiness, without increasing the car body weight

• Major negative consequence of these new materials: absence of knowledge about their behaviour during both the drawing process and future physical applications

• Engineers turned to forming simulations in order to closely investigate and try to minimize this problem