Applicability of miniature tensile test in the automotive sector

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show the applicability of miniature tensile test (M-TT) for local properties determination on steel sheets for drawing and forming which are mostly used in automotive industry. Knowledge of local mechanical properties is a key factor for parts quality assurance. A comparison of the tensile test results from standard sized and miniature sized geometry has been done to assess the M-TT reliability. Various mechanical properties, such as the ultimate tensile and yield strengths the elongation, and reductions in area will be obtained. Moreover, thanks to advanced measurement techniques like digital image correlation with high resolution, strain hardening parameters and plastic strain ratio can be evaluated as well. Finally, flow stress curves are calibrated by inverse analysis in Abaqus FEM software.