A viscous pressure bulge test for the determination of a plastic hardening curve and equibiaxial material data

The importance of an accurate material modeling for the accuracy and reliability of sheet forming simulations has become increasingly evident during the last years. More advanced material models have, however, to be supported by novel methods for material characterization. The recent eight parameter yield functions Yld2000-2d and BBC2003 demand, besides data from the ordinary uniaxial tensile tests, also equibiaxial data. In the present paper a Viscous Pressure Bulge (VPB) test is described. The test yields the equibiaxial stress point and r-value, as well as a plastic hardening curve for large values of plastic strain. The test setup is based on an ARGUSS™ optical measuring system, and provides the desired result data in a very smooth and easy way. In order to verify the results from the current test, comparisons have been made with compression tests performed at Corus RD&T and hydraulic bulging tests performed at RWTH in Aachen. A discussion on how to determine the equibiaxial yield stress and how to transform the biaxial stress-strain curve to an effective stress-strain curve is included in the paper.