Simulating Structural Resistance of D&I Food Cans to Open Up Downgauging Potential

To reduce cost and increase the efficiency of D&I food cans, a lighter can with the same axial stability and paneling resistance is required. Axial stability depends on wall thickness, bead geometry (mainly bead depth) and tensile strength in the wall, whereas paneling resistance is a function of wall thickness, Young’s modulus and bead geometry (mainly bead depth), with the bead depth having an opposite influence on paneling resistance and axial stability. FEA is used to find a bead geometry that satisfies both the paneling resistance and axial stability requirements. For a stable calculation of the paneling resistance, perturbation in the form of an eigenmode is required. The calculation time is significantly reduced by using an implicit solver with arc length method. When simulating axial stability, accurate modeling of the beginning of the flow curve is required. A weight reduction of 5% can be achieved by using next-generation high-strength D&I steel grades (e.g. rasselstein® D&I Solid).