Simulating shot peen forming with eigenstrains

Shot peen forming is a cold work process used to shape thin metallic components by bombarding them with small shots at high velocities. Several simulation procedures have been reported in the literature for this process, but their predictive capabilities remain limited as they systematically require some form of calibration or empirical adjustments. We intend to show how procedures based on the concept of eigenstrains, which were initially developed for applications in other fields of residual stress engineering, can be adapted to peen forming and stress-peen forming. These tools prove to be able to reproduce experimental results when the plastic strain field that develop inside a part is known with sufficient accuracy. They are, however, not mature enough to address the forming of panels that are free to deform during peening. For validation purposes, we peen formed several 1 by 1 m 2024-T3 aluminum alloy panels. These experiments revealed a transition from spherical to cylindrical shapes as the panel thickness is decreased for a given treatment, that we show results from an elastic instability.