As part of the development process for new stamping dies, in the automotive sheet metal forming (SMF) industry, the majority of all forming operations are simulated with the Finite Element Method (FEM) before the dies are manufactured. Today, these simulations are conducted with rigid tools under the assumption that there are no tool deformations. However, research shows that tool deformations have an influence on the finished product. In real production these deformations are compensated by manual rework during the try-out. Additional reason for simulating with rigid dies is that there are non-existing simulation methods elaborated for elastic stamping dies. Also, simulation of elastic tools requires high computational power.     Since simulations today are performed with rigid stamping dies the purpose of this work is to investigate the conditions of how to conduct SMF-simulations with elastic stamping dies. The object that will be studied is a stamping die for a Volvo XC90 inner door used in a single-action press. This work is part of the development to minimize the manual rework, with the goal to compensate for tool deformations in a virtual environment.    Results for rigid stamping dies in LS-Dyna was compared to currently used AutoForm as a pre-study. A simple model was then created to find a suitable method while using elastic stamping dies. The developed method was used for an industrial size stamping die.     Since there are little amount of research performed on simulations using elastic stamping dies, elasticity and complexity were gradually introduced into the FE-model. As a first step, only the punch was included as an elastic solid. Secondly, the die was added. Finally, the entire die was simulated as elastic together with the hydraulic cushion of the press. When the FE-model worked as expected a suitable method for minimizing the simulation time with acceptable results was studied.     Comparisons of measured- and simulation results show a high correlation. To improve the results from the FE-model factors such as press deformations, advanced friction models, etc. should be included.    Conclusions from this work shows that it is possible to perform SMF-simulations with elastic stamping dies. As the computational time normally is high this work also presents a method first step to reduce the computational time with acceptable results. Comparisons between simulations with rigid and elastic stamping dies proves that there are significant differences in the outcome of the two methods. / Reduced Lead Time through Advanced Die Structure Analysis - Vinnova

When operating hydraulic mining excavators the loading equipment is exposed to harsh conditions which lead to extensive wear of the equipment, especially the bucket and bucket teeth. Simulations are used to better understand the wear development and to evaluate new methods to operate excavators more efficiently. At the Aitik mine, operated by the high-tech metal company Boliden Mines, hydraulic excavators are used when loading the mined ore. One of the hydraulic excavators used at Aitik is the Komatsu PC7000. In this master thesis, a simulation model for the hydraulic excavator Komatsu PC7000 was developed with the simulation software LS-DYNA. This model consists of multi rigid body dynamics to describe the motion of the excavator and a granular material model to describe the rocks loaded into the bucket of the excavator. Simulations with two different types of granular material models have been utilized to study the wear development of the bucket. One of the models (bonded DE model) uses bonded discrete elements to describe the large rocks and single discrete elements are used to describe smaller rocks. This model is compared to the current FE-DE model which is being used today at Boliden. This model uses finite elements (FE) to model the larger rocks and discrete element spheres (DES) for smaller rocks. By using the bonded DE method a 71\% reduction in simulation time could be achieved. This can be partly explained by the reduction of the number of elements included in the rock pile.  Archard's wear law was used to numerically describe the wear development of the bucket. When simulating the wear a total of 30 bucket fillings were performed with the excavator. This was done with both the bonded DE method and the FE-DE method. In this wear study, the inside of the bucket was of interest. The resulting simulated wear map was compared to experimental measurements from which the plate thickness of the bucket had been measured two times to obtain the wear depth of some points inside the bucket. The experimental measurements and two 3D scanned point clouds were used to determine the wear depth inside the bucket. Results from the simulation showed that the wear is concentrated to the center of the bucket while less wear is concentrated to the sides of the bucket. With the bonded DE method the wear appeared to be more evenly distributed inside the bucket while the wear from the FE-DE method appeared in spots inside the bucket. The experimental results also showed that the wear was more extensive in the center of the bucket and also in the back of the bucket. Both simulation methods also showed that the wear was concentrated to the back of the bucket. From the simulations, it was also seen that the behavior of the material flow differed between the two methods. In the bonded DE method the material flow had more sliding behavior while the material flow in the FE-DE method had more rolling behavior. This could also be the reason why the bonded DE method captures the wear more evenly. The rolling behavior seen in the FE-DE method leads to more impact wear which is not captured by Archard's wear law. Overall, the bonded DE method leads to a big reduction in simulation time which is favorable when it comes to simulation. The larger rocks will have simpler shapes without sharp corners. However, the method allows for a more complex shape than just an ordinary sphere which is the simplest and most common shape to describe granular material. The bonded DE method also allows for easier configuration of contact definition since fewer contact interfaces must be added to the model. Furthermore, the post-processing of wear in LS-DYNA was facilitated since the wear does not have to be divided into two wear collectors for FE elements and DE elements.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The design optimization of laminated composite structures is of relevance in automobile, naval, aerospace, construction and energy industry. While several optimization methods have been applied in the design of laminated composites, the majority of those methods are only applicable to linear or simplified nonlinear models that are unable to capture multi-body contact. Furthermore, approaches that consider composite failure still remain scarce. This work presents an optimization approach based on design and analysis of computer experiments (DACE) in which smart sampling and continuous metamodel enhancement drive the design process towards a global optimum. Kriging metamodel is used in the optimization algorithm. This metamodel enables the definition of an expected improvement function that is maximized at each iteration in order to locate new designs to update the metamodel and find optimal designs. This work uses explicit finite element analysis to study the crash behavior of composite parts that is available in the commercial code LS-DYNA. The optimization algorithm is implemented in MATLAB. Single and multi-objective optimization problems are solved in this work. The design variables considered in the optimization include the orientation of the plies as well as the size of zones that control the collapse of the composite parts. For the ease of manufacturing, the fiber orientation is defined as a discrete variable. Objective functions such as penetration, maximum displacement and maximum acceleration are defined in the optimization problems. Constraints are included in the optimization problem to guarantee the feasibility of the solutions provided by the optimization algorithm. The results of this study show that despite the brittle behavior of composite parts, they can be optimized to resist and absorb impact. In the case of single objective problems, the algorithm is able to find the global solution. When working with multi-objective problems, an enhanced Pareto is provided by the algorithm.

The idea to use finite element (FE) models to reconstruct accidents for humans is becoming more popular the last years. They represent the human body very accurately and indicate well changes in shape, size and biomechanical properties. FE models are useful when looking at complex factors in the human body in a more systematic way and when the approach is too complicated for conventional setups. Positioned child models from PIPER were used in the process and then rotated in LS-PrePost according to impact points and impact velocities from a given literature data where information from witnessed fall accidents of children was given. The simulations were finally run in LS-Dyna and the purpose was to investigate if the resulting brain injuries were similar to the real life data. From the literature, the falling distance from lowest point of the body to the ground, the age of the child, gender, type of ground and results from CT scans were all known. To compare the results to the literature data, section cuts of the brain were taken at four locations with different time steps. Biomechanical injury predictors such as brain strain, acceleration, rotational angular acceleration and rotational angular velocity were observed and helped with the comparison. In total, 12 cases were reconstructed which ended as 22 simulations. Due to uncertainty regarding the falling height when the children fell from a swing, each swing case had 3 scenarios. Overall the comparison of predicted injury locations from LS-Dyna to real injury locations from CT scans indicated that 7 out of 12 cases compared relatively well. The comparison of a 23-month-old girl to the same case reconsructed with CRABI-18 showed similar outcomes of the angular acceleration and the angular velocity. The linear acceleration and HIC were however much higher with LS-Dyna. Comparison between the swing cases of a 10-, 12- and 13-year-old resulted in similar results for the 12- and 13 year-old girls but the 10 year boy had lower values for all biomechanical parameters except the angular velocity which was a bit higher. With more detailed information about real accidents and precise scaling of PIPER child models, reconstruction with LS-Dyna could be useful in the future to design safer playgrounds for children and to obtain injury criterion for children after fall incidents. / Användande av finita element (FE) modeller för att rekonstruera olyckor har blivit allt populärare de senaste åren. De representerar människokroppen mycket noggrant och indikerar väl förändringari form, storlek och biomekaniska egenskaper. FE-modeller är användbara när man tittar på komplexa faktorer i människokroppen på ett mer systematiskt sätt och när tillvägagångssättet är för komplicerat för konventionella metoder. PIPER barnmodellerna positionerades i enlighet med islagpunkter och islaghastigheter från en given databas där informationen från vittnade fallolyckor av barn gavs. Simuleringarna kördes slutligen i LS-Dyna och syftet var att undersöka om predikteringarna liknade de resulterande hjärnskadorna. Från databasen var fallhöjd från kroppens lägsta punkt till marken, barnets ålder, kön, typ av mark och resultat från CT skanningar kända. För att jämföra resultaten med litteraturdata togs sektionsavsnitt av hjärnan på fyra platser med olika tidspunkter. Biomekaniska skadeprediktorer såsom hjärntöjning, acceleration, vinkelacceleration och vinkelhastighet extraherades och användes i jämförelsen. Totalt, rekonstruerades 12 fallolyckor med totalt 22 simuleringar. På grund av osäkerhet om fallhöjden när barnen föll från en gunga, hade varje fall från gunga 3 scenarier/fallhöjder var. Sammantaget indikerar jämförelsen av förväntade skadepredikteringar från LS-Dyna till observerade skador från CT-skanningar att 7 av 12 fall korrelerade relativt bra. Jämförelsen av en 23 månader gammal tjej i samma fall som tidigare också rekonstruerades med en CRABI-18 docka visade liknande resultat av vinkelaccelerationen och vinkelhastigheten. Linjär acceleration och HIC var emellertid mycket högre med LS-Dyna simuleringarna. Jämförelse mellan fallen från gunga hos en 10-, 12-och 13-åring resulterade i liknande resultat för 12- och 13-åriga flickor, medan 10-åringen hade lägre värden för alla biomekaniska parametrar utom den vinkelhastighet som var lite högre. Med mer detaljerad information om verkliga olyckor och exakt uppskalning av PIPER barnmodeller kan rekonstruktion med LS-Dyna vara användbar i framtiden för att utforma säkrare lekplatser för barn och för att få skadeskala för barn efter fallhändelser.

Computer simulation is an essential tool in the development process of childseats, particularly when it comes to ensuring the safety of child passengers.As awareness regarding child passenger safety continues to grow, the use ofsuitable materials in the development of child seats becomes increasinglycrucial. Numerical simulations play a vital role throughout the entiredevelopment phase, enabling accurate analysis and evaluation. Toeffectively reduce development costs and time, it is imperative to have amaterial model that accurately predicts the behavior of materials innumerical simulations. This enables optimized performance of child seatswhile maintaining safety standards. The objective of the thesis is to implement a standard procedure forextracting material data for numerical modelling of foam materials andvalidating it. In this study, material models available in LS-DYNA, such asMAT_083 and MAT_057 for foam materials, are utilized along withcompression test data to create the material model. The model is furtherenhanced by optimizing the material parameters to establish a correlationbetween the test and simulation results. The improved material model is thenvalidated by comparing it with the impact drop test results. However,THULE's current impact drop test equipment is not considered accurate orefficient, and addressing this issue is one of the main objectives of thisthesis. Within this thesis, the identified problems are thoroughly examined,and suitable solutions are proposed to ensure the accurate extraction ofmaterial data and its validation, particularly when introducing new foammaterials.

Many of today’s engineering advancements rely on minerals such as copper, gold and iron. For this reason, the mining industry plays an important role for the development of society and technological wonders. Mining excavators are commonly used tools for extracting the minerals from the mine. Mining excavators are large machines used to breakdown, penetrate and load the rock ores onto trucks that transport the minerals. During the dynamic loading, the excavator bucket experiences significant amount of wear and tear that negatively affects the production by increasing the downtime. The bucket teeth are arguably the most worn parts of the bucket and are responsible for significant amounts of downtime. This thesis aims to provide a better understanding of the load and wear on the bucket teeth of large scale mining excavators used in Bolidens Aitik copper mine in Sweden. Because of how much wear and tear the bucket teeth are exposed to, there is a need to better understand the wear behaviour of the teeth and for the whole bucket in general. This understanding can then be used to improve the service life of the teeth and other parts of the bucket and thus increase work efficiency and reduce downtime. This project was divided into two parts. The first part consisted of regular field measurements to follow the wear on the bucket for about two weeks of digging and loading. The gathered data was then analysed to provide a better understand about the wear behaviour. The second part was to develop a numerical model that could predict the wear on the bucket and could be verified by the field measurements. The field measurements consisted of seven 3D laser scans of the bucket starting with brand new teeth. At the time of the last scan, the buckets total loaded tonnage was approximately 542 kton and the excavator had operated in total of approximately 195 hours. After the raw data from the scans was gathered and analysed, various information about the wear behaviour on the teeth was achieved. The 3D scanned data was also used to provide a complete wear development cycle which allowed to track the wear of any point in the bucket. The method could also be used to create animations of the teeth as they were being worn. From the results, it was concluded that the wear rate for the teeth slowed down and even converged as the geometry changed due to wear. When comparing all nine teeth on the bucket, it was also found that the middle teeth on the bucket were most exposed to wear. The most worn tooth was found to lose around 50 kg of weight after approximately 117 operating hours, which accounts for 40 % of the original weight. The animations from the complete wear development results also showed how the individual teeth and the whole leading edge with all nine teeth were being worn as the buckets loaded tonnage increased from 0 to 542 kton. The numerical model consisted of simulations of loading with the rocks being modelled with the Discrete Element Method (DEM). These were divided into four cases, the first being with the bucket with all new teeth. The second bucket with a mixture of new and worn teeth. The third bucket with all worn teeth and then finally the fourth bucket in which a new tooth geometry was tested. The numerical model showed promising results and potential for being a reliable way to predict the wear on the bucket. The results showed that both the penetration force and wear for the middle teeth was higher than the other neighbouring teeth. It also showed that the completely worn teeth had a lower wear rate than the new teeth which is in agreement with the results from field measurements. Other factors such as tooth shape and length were also observed to have a significant impact on the wear and penetration force. Lastly, the new teeth geometry also showed potential for design improvements in terms of wear resistance but can be further optimised. From the new teeth geometry, a suggestion was given for using an existing tooth system that might be more wear resistant.

The motivation behind the project was to update the Livermore Software Technology Corporation (LSTC) Hybrid III 95th percentile finite element model, such that the neck assembly response under varying simulated loading conditions equals that of the federally regulated Hybrid III 95th percentile anthropomorphic testing device (ATD). The family of Hybrid III crash test dummies approximate the physical properties and response of the human body in a frontal automotive crash. The Hybrid III is used to assess the effectiveness of vehicle restraint systems. LSTC offers Hybrid III finite element models for use in their Multiphysics simulation software package, LS-DYNA. The Hybrid III models are used as cost-effective alternative to physical crash tests in the development of vehicle crashworthiness. However, the neck response of the LSTC Hybrid III 95th percentile model in simulation was poorly correlated to that of the physical Hybrid III neck in corresponding tests. The source of the dissimilarity was inadequate dimensions, element behavior, and material properties of the neck. To improve correlation to the physical ATD, a number of modifications were made to the LSTC Hybrid III 95th percentile neck. Development of the neck model began with improvements in mass and geometry. Element formulation and element discretization were altered to improve model durability and accuracy. A mesh convergence study and simulation under extreme-severity loading were completed to validate the foregoing model alterations. Test data from a physical compression test and NASA-performed Neck Sled Tests were collated with data from simulation to adjust material type and material properties. The model was further calibrated according to Code of Federal Regulations neck calibration test response requirements. The resulting neck model developed in LS-DYNA exhibited improved dynamic characteristics and reliability under both low and high-severity loading. Computational efficiency was enhanced along with model tendency to normally terminate under excessive loading. The updated model moreover demonstrated consistent element behavior and realistic feedback in bending. The revised neck model will be adopted by NASA for use in predicting potential occupant injury during spacecraft landing. A similar model with reworked material properties attuned to higher loading will be implemented into the full consumer version of the Hybrid III 95th percentile model for employment in high-severity frontal crash simulation.

High-strength steel (HSS) conforming to ASTM A1035 is becoming increasingly used in various structural applications, including in high-rise buildings and bridges. Due to their chemistry and manufacturing process, ASTM A1035 steel bars result in a combination of high tensile strength to yield ratio and varying levels of corrosion resistance. One potential application of ASTM A1035 bars is in the blast-resistant design of concrete structures, where their use can allow for reduced steel congestion, and increased blast resistance. Despite their high initial cost, stainless steel (SS) reinforcing bars are also seeing increased use in concrete construction. Solid stainless steel bars are referenced in ASTM A955, which is applicable to various stainless steel alloys. In addition to their inherent corrosion resistance, most stainless steel bars possess greater tensile strength, and importantly, exceptional ductility, when compared to ordinary steel reinforcement. This unique combination of strength and ductility makes SS bars well-suited for blast design applications. The overarching aim of this thesis is to gain better understanding of the blast behavior of RC flexural members designed with high-strength (HSS) and stainless steel (SS) reinforcement. This objective is achieved through a combined experimental and numerical research program. As part of the experimental research, a large set of beams, subdivided into three series, are tested under either quasi-static bending or simulated blast loads using the University of Ottawa shock-tube. Series 1 (HSC-HSS) and Series 2 (HSC-SS) aim at examining the effects of blast detailing (as recommended in modern blast codes,) on the quasi-static, blast and post-blast behaviour of high-strength concrete (HSC) beams reinforced with either ASTM A1035 high-strength bars (8 beams) or ASTM A955 stainless steel bars (16 beams). In addition to the influence of detailing, the effects of steel grade/type, steel ratio and steel fibers are also studied. Series 3 further studies the benefits of combining higher grade or higher ductility reinforcement, with more advanced ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). This series includes 20 UHPC beams built with either ordinary, HSS or SS reinforcing bars (UHPC-NSS, UHPC-HSS and UHPC-SS). In addition to the effect of steel grade/type, concrete type, steel ratio and steel detailing are also studied. The results from Series 1 and 2 demonstrate the benefits of implementing high-strength and stainless steel reinforcement in HSC beams subjected to blast loads, where their use leads to increased blast capacity, reduced support rotations, and higher damage tolerance. The results further demonstrate the benefits of “blast detailing” on the ductility and resilience of such beams, under both static and blast loads. The results also show that the use of steel fibers can be used to relax blast detailing in the beams with high-strength or stainless steel by increasing the required tie spacing from d/4 to d/2. The results from Series 3 confirm that the use of UHPC in beams enhances flexural response (in terms of strength and stiffness), which in turn results in superior blast resistance. Conversely, the high bond capacity of UHPC makes such beams more vulnerable to bar fracture. Increasing the steel ratio is found to effectively increase the failure displacement and ductility of the UHPC beams. The use of high-strength steel is found to increase load capacity and blast resistance, while the use of stainless steel results in remarkable ductility, which further enhances beam response under blast loading. As part of the numerical research program, the static and blast responses of the test beams are simulated using either 2D or 3D finite element (FE) modelling, using software VecTor2 and LS-DYNA. The numerical results show that the 2D FE modelling using software VecTor2 can provide reliable predictions of the static and blast responses of the HSS or SS reinforced HSC beams built with varying detailing, in terms of load-deflection response, cracking patterns, failure mode, displacement time histories and dynamic reactions. Likewise, the 3D FE modelling using software LS-DYNA with appropriate modelling of UHPC (using the Winfrith Concrete or CSCM models) can well predict the blast responses of UHPC beams with ordinary, high-strength and stainless steel, in terms of displacement/load-time histories, damage and failure modes.

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