Influence of Solidification-Dependent Microstructure on Subsequent Metal Forming Operations

Conventional metal deformation simulations which include microstructure evolution would not consider any initial spatial variations but assume a uniform microstructure. In metal manufacturing, the liquid phase during casting and its subsequent solidification play major roles in characterizing the material properties (both micro- and macroscopic). Physics-based material models allow to simulate microstructural effects based on measurable microstructural properties. However, some parameters such as the grain size vary considerably within the manufactured part geometry depending on the processing conditions. Since the grain size distribution influences the microstructure evolution during subsequent heat treatment (HT) and metal forming operations, considering a more realistic initial distribution can be beneficial for subsequent simulations.