Study of the aptitude of DC0xEK steels for enameling and deep drawing

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the aptitude of cold-rolled steels DC05EK and DC06EK for deep drawing and enameling in the Industrial Sanitary Equipment Company (EIMS) of Miliana. The first part aimed to perform a numerical simulation of the bathtub type “1400” using real industrial parameters to analyze wrinkling and rupture defects. We utilized the ABAQUS/Explicit FE software. 3D and ultrasonic thickness measurements were carried out on a bathtub manufactured without defects. Numerical and experimental plots of the thickness reduction show that the two approaches are in good agreement. The numerical results indicated no rupture or wrinkling in the final bathtub shape, matching the actual product made by the company. Numerical analysis was also performed on various scenarios likely to cause defects, such as the influence of blank holder pressure, the initial blank shape, and the die design using draw beads. The second part aimed to analyze the occurrence of fish scale defects in enameled sanitary ware, focusing on the different levels of plastic strain and anisotropy encountered in the deep drawing of DC06EK and DC05EK sheet metals. Additionally, corrosion phenomena in these types of steel based on different deformation levels were examinate. Experiments were conducted on pre-strained samples. These samples were enameled following the same process used at the EIMS company. After 20 days, fish scale began to appear in samples with plastic strain levels between 0 and 3%. This phenomenon was explained by the release of the hydrogen chemical component and the low roughness. Overall, we concluded that DC05EK steel is more resistant to fish scale defects and corrosion, whereas DC06EK steel has better formability.