Anisotropic Plasticity in Sheet Metal Forming: Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Springback Using U-Bending Test

Accurate forecasting of springback continues to pose a significant challenge in sheet metal forming processes. The present paper presents a numerical model designed for the precise prediction of springback, allowing for a deeper understanding of plasticity behavior during cold forming operations in sheet metals. The key contribution of this model is the introduction of a non-associated anisotropic constitutive model featuring nonlinear mixed isotropic–kinematic hardening. This model is derived from Hill’48 quadratic function and it was implemented into ABAQUS 6.13 software environment through the user defined UMAT subroutine. For improved precision, kinematic hardening parameters specific to 5083 aluminum sheet metal were meticulously derived from cyclic shear experiments. Our results demonstrate the model’s strong capability in predicting springback during the U-bending operation, achieving remarkable accuracy. The design of experiments DOE is used as a statistical method to optimize the number of experiments and analyze the effects of key input factors. In this study, sheet thickness, punch speed, and sampling angle relative to the rolling direction (RD) are examined at different levels to assess their impact on folding force and springback. The strong agreement between experimental results and theoretical predictions confirms the accuracy and reliability of the proposed models in estimating folding force and springback.