Abstract Application of TWB is proved to be very effective in the current trend of body parts construction. However, their formability can be limited in some ways. One of the negative phenomena in the forming process is instability of the weld interface position on the blank, which reflects the uneven plastic flow of materials of different mechanical properties. Simulations carried out in LS-Dyna software and real deep drawing experiments of rectangular parts have been made to study this phenomenon on ÚTM STU in Bratislava. Blanks have been welded of high strength (HCT600X) and conventional deep-drawing steel (DC01) of the same thickness. The aim of the study has been to verify the effect of non-uniform blankholder force distribution on the weld interface movement and to determine the conditions in which this movement will be eliminated. For this purpose, the special drawing tool equipped with the elastic blankholder system controlling blankholder force distribution on the blank flange has been used

Local strain is often evaluated by means of the deformation pattern of circles as they change, during the forming process, into ellipses.The surface with such deformed pattern is then evaluated by an optical measurement system.Automated optic evaluation requires high-priced equipment and thus, at the Institute of Technologies and materials, we have developed manual methods for strain evaluation.The digital photography method is effective but restricted only to planar strain areas.Multiple image stereo photogrammetry enables us to digitalize the surface of the part into a three-dimensional form, including the real texture colour of deformation pattern.Strain measurements of individual ellipse elements are executed exclusively on the virtual threedimensional model, without any restriction by the shape geometry of the surface.

New trends in the deep drawing of tailored blanks demands for the analysis of process parameters and their setup to obtain the drawn parts with required shape precision, strength and stiffness.One option is to perform the experiments, measurements and optimization of that process on an experimental laboratory device and to compare the results to those from simulations.This contribution deals with the redesign of a device that is used at the Institute of technologies and materials with regard to replacement of strain gauge force measuring system by piezoelectric force measuring system.The new design is also focused on a new way of setting the blankholder pressure applied on the tailored blank.