Ductile fracture models and an Abaqus subroutine for simulating deep drawing damage and predicting part fracture

Abstract

This study investigates ductile fracture modelling approaches with the objective of identifying a reliable criterion for the numerical simulation of deep drawing processes. A comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the ability of representative fracture formulations to capture damage evolution under conditions of large plastic deformation. The results indicate that a stress-based damage criterion provides superior predictive capability for fracture initiation compared to conventional strain-based approaches. This model enables a more accurate description of damage accumulation by accounting for the combined effects of stress state and plastic deformation. To facilitate practical application, the selected fracture criterion was implemented in the Abaqus finite element framework through a dedicated user-defined material subroutine (UMAT). The numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed implementation accurately predicts damage localization and fracture onset at different stages of the forming process. The findings confirm the suitability of the proposed modelling strategy for analyzing deep drawing operations and highlight its potential for improving the reliability of numerical predictions in sheet metal forming. The developed approach provides a practical tool for process optimization and quality improvement in forming applications where accurate fracture prediction is critical.

https://doi.org/10.70974/mat09225242