Effect of strain hardening on the continuous four-roll plate edge bending process

An analytical approach has been developed to study the mechanics of the continuous plate edge bending mode of the four-roll bending process, solving the governing differential equation for the large deflection of an elastoplastic thin plate with an arbitrary strain-hardening law for the material. Numerical results for the physical quantities of: (i) the shift of the plate contact angle with rolls; (ii) the forces applied on the rolls; and (iii) the positional set-up of the side roll; are obtained and shown graphically as a function of the anticipated curvature of plate made of linear strain hardening material. The effect of material strain hardening on the mechanics is studied and compared with those for a perfectly plastic material.