An investigation of thickness variance during compliant parts storage

Abstract

Compliant parts are widely used in Aerospace, Ship building and Stamping industries. One of the critical issues in sheet metal parts is thickness variation during stack-up storage. Therefore, it is vital to investigate this issue as the dimensional tolerance is an important factor for the quality of the final product. The research described in this paper aims to solve above problem by investigating the effect of sheet metal thickness variation with the load influence during stack-up storage. A series of experimental trials were performed to investigate the influence of compliant part thickness variation with applied load and the time duration that the load acting on the part. The system described in this paper uses a small square Aluminium plate and hydraulic press to apply forces on sheet metal surface. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) techniques were used to investigate the compliant part thickness reduction by varying the load. In addition, experimental results were validated with FEA and mathematical calculations. Results are presented along with a discussion of the problems that may be encountered.