Shot peen forming sheet metal: Finite element prediction of deformed shape

Shot peen forming is a production process used to create curved metal parts from sheet. It is commercially important despite the fact that its mechanisms are not fully understood; peen forming programmes are currently generated using experience and trial and error. The purpose of this work is to increase the predictability and range of application of the process by advancing its understanding. Finite element analysis proved to be a satisfactory procedure for studying shot peen forming. The stress distribution in a sheet arising from multiple indentations, as occur in shot peen forming, was modelled. A technique of squeezing the upper layers of a finite element model was shown to be a good simulation of the stress distributions resulting from shot peen forming, and provided a much more tractable analysis with respect to computing time and resources.