An evolving plane stress yield criterion based on crystal plasticity virtual experiments

• A new multi-scale model captures texture-induced evolution of plastic anisotropy.
• BBC2008 yield criterion is extended to allow anisotropy evolution.
• A novel identification strategy of the BBC2008 is elaborated.
• Evolution of texture and associated anisotropy is studied in a cup drawing benchmark case.

This paper presents a new hierarchical multi-scale framework that allows taking into account evolution of the plastic anisotropy during sheet forming processes. The evolution of crystallographic texture, which is identified as the main source of the plastic anisotropy, is predicted by the ALAMEL crystal plasticity model. An extension to the phenomenological anisotropic plane-stress yield criterion BBC2008 is proposed, which provides adaptive updates of the local anisotropy in the integration points of the macroscopic finite element model. To this end, the BBC2008 is systematically recalibrated to data provided by the crystal plasticity virtual experiment framework (VEF). An enhanced identification algorithm is proposed. The new algorithm exploits comprehensive material characterization delivered by the VEF.The deep drawing of cylindrical cups is used as a benchmark case. An industrial-grade aluminium alloy AA6016 is chosen for the test case. The experimental part of the study includes X-ray diffraction measurements of the texture as well as mechanical testing, which comprises uniaxial tensile tests, a bulge test and the deep drawing of cylindrical cups. A noticeable through-thickness gradient in terms of both the texture and the plastic anisotropy is identified in the initial material. This issue is taken into consideration in the study.Three groups of simulations have been performed, in which (i) the BBC2008 was calibrated by means of the mechanical tests, (ii) the BBC2008 was calibrated by means of the VEF based on the initial texture, but kept constant throughout the simulation, and (iii) the BBC2008 was systematically recalibrated by means of the VEF to reflect the effects of texture evolution. The earing profiles measured in the experimentally drawn cups are compared to the ones predicted by the simulations. It is found that the cup profile predictions by (i) are clearly inferior compared to both (ii) and (iii). However, in the considered process (iii) provides only a moderate improvement over the results of (ii). The explanation of this limited impact of the anisotropy evolution is based on the analysis of the evolved texture and associated plastic anisotropy.