Abstract: Sheet metal flexible-die forming is the fastest growing one of the sheet forming technologies. For the traditional sheet flexible die forming technology has many defects, the sheet solid granules medium forming technology (SGMF) is brought forward as a new technology that overcomes the defects and derives their advantages of the existing flexible die forming technology. It is an advanced technology which uses solid granules medium instead of rigid punch (or elastomer, liquid) to form sheet. Its advantages are simple structure of the tool, good quality surface of the parts, the forming limit being improved effectively, saving die sets and equipments and so on. Deep typical curved parts are successfully developed by this technology. Solid granules medium is managed as the continuum medium, the finite element method simulation model has been established to simulate granules medium forming workpiece of which meridian plane is parabolic-shaped. In conclusion, the simulation results calculated using the continuum medium model are closed to experimental results.

Key words: Finite element simulation, Forming, Solid granules medium