Further observations and review of numerical simulations of sheet metal punching

In this report, a numerical study into the punching process is presented. During the simulations, the Gurson/Tvergaard damage model is applied in order to model void nucleation and growth. Particular attention is given in this paper to some of the inherent assumptions of both the damage mechanics model and its implementation in the finite element code, including the simulation of the process of void nucleation and growth and the role of hydrostatic pressure in the clearance zone. In spite of the fundamental nature of the assumptions, the numerical simulations compare favourably against experimental results. In order to aid further developments in damage modelling and its application in finite element simulations of punching, a number of suggestions for further investigations are presented.