One of the major challenges in simulation of semi-solid forming is characterizing the complex behavior of a material that consists of both solid and liquid phases. In this study, a material model for an A356 alloy in a semi-solid state has been developed for high solid fractions (>0.6) and implemented into a finite element simulation tool to investigate the micro-/mesoscale feature formation during the forming process. Compared to previous stress models, which are limited to expressing the stress dependency on only the strain rate and the temperature (or the solid fraction), the proposed stress model adds the capability of describing the semi-solid material behavior in terms of strain and structural evolution. The proposed stress model was able to explain the strain-softening behavior of the semi-solid material. Furthermore, a simulation model that includes the yield function, the flow rule, and the stress model has been developed and utilized to investigate the effects of various process parameters, including analysis type (isothermal vs nonisothermal), punch velocity, initial solid fraction, and workpiece shape (“flat” versus “tall”) on the micro-/mesofeature formation process.
