Finite element analysis of enamelled steel structures

Enamelled steel components have been used widely in cooking appliances, architectural panels, chemical reactors and heat exchanger parts. Superior chemical and physical attack resistance and hygiene properties made enamelled steel a preferred material of choice for these applications. Enamelled steel is a steel-glass composite where metal acts as a substrate and a thin layer of glass powder is coated on it. By subsequent thermal processing, glass powder melts and forms a continuous layer on steel. The difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of steel and glass result in thermal deflection and warping of the structure. In order to reduce the percentage of out of tolerance products, many design alternatives are prepared through product development process. Testing every design alternative can be costly and time consuming, therefore, a simulation methodology predicting the behavior of the structure through manufacturing stage is needed. Finite element analysis is used in order to develop a methodology for the manufacturing process simulation of enamelled steel products. Viscoelastic and elastic material models are used and the results are compared. The validation of the analysis methodology is done with rectangular enamelled steel plates manufactured in Arcelik production facility. The methodology then applied to oven cavity. The oven cavities manufactured in Arcelik facility were measured dimensionally with Coordinate- Measurement Machine and the coating thicknesses were measured with elcometer. Finite element analysis results were compared with Coordinate-Measurement Machine results. Additionally, Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer was used for characterization of glass in order to obtain its temperature dependent material properties.