Application of FEA in press size determination in the production of an aluminum monolithic non-rotational component using deep drawing

Abstract The success of a deep-drawing process largely depends on the selection of an appropriately sized press. Optimal press sizing is critical for ensuring component quality, cost efficiency, and process reliability. This study integrates analytical force estimation and finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the press capacity required to form a large monolithic, non-rotational aluminium component via deep drawing. A brief classification rationale is provided to define the part as a monolithic non-rotational shell. The component has envelope dimensions of 2300 mm × 1400 mm with a drawing depth of 142 mm. Manual calculations of the drawing and blankholder forces were first performed based on the material properties of AA1050-O aluminium and the part’s geometry. These analytical estimations guided an AutoForm™ FEA simulation structured according to an L27 Taguchi orthogonal array to examine combinations of six key deep-drawing process parameters: initial blankholder force, blank size, coefficient of friction, draw bead height, drawing gap, and die radius tested across three levels. Simulation results indicated that punch forces ranged from 2354.2 kN to 3404.3 kN and final blankholder forces from 995 kN to 1312.5 kN, yielding total die forces between 3608.7 kN and 4478.7 kN. Considering a safety factor of 1.5, the study concludes that an 800-ton press with a bed size of 3600 mm × 2500 mm is optimal for manufacturing the component. Simulated forces were benchmarked against analytical predictions to ensure the reliability of the FEA results. Unlike conventional deep-drawing studies that focus on axisymmetric cups, and smaller components, this work introduces a novel analytical-numerical framework for press-tonnage determination of large aluminium components, linking experimentally derived material parameters to full-scale industrial press selection.