REFORMING INTERNAL PRESSURE AND AXIAL FEEDING LOADING PATHS IN HYDROFORMING PROCESS OF CYLINDRICAL STEPPED TUBE IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE THICKNESS DISTRIBUTION

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Abstract

Internal pressure and axial feeding are the most important factors in tube hydroforming process. The internal fluid pressure and the material feeding that is produced by punch axial loading form the tube. How to apply these two parameters simultaneously in combination has effects on the quality, thickness and forming limit of the final piece. In this paper, the effects of internal pressure and axial feeding paths were investigated to improve the thickness distribution of stepped cylindrical tubes and the wrinkles in the loading path were used to create a new method for removing the wrinkles. Firstly, the constant pressure loading paths with various pressure levels were investigated. Then, the pressure levels in which the parts weren’t burst and formed perfectly or formed with wrinkles were chosen and the effect of axial feeding on these paths were examined separately. The results showed that the axial feeding in the initial step of increasing pressure improves the part thickness distribution in final step. In addition, through using this new method, the wrinkles on tube body were eliminated at the end of the process by changing the direction of axial feeding, and consequently the sound part with better thickness was obtained. Furthermore, using stepped loading path improved thickness distribution uniformity through applying this new method of wrinkle elimination.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

[1] Eftekhari Shahri S.E., Ahmadi Brooghani S.Y.,Khalili K. and Kang B.S., 2013. “Ultrasonic tube hydroforming, a numerical and analytical study”,Journal of Modares Mechanical Engineering, 13, No.4, pp. 46-59.
[2] Ahmetoglu M. and Altan T., 2000. “Tube hydroforming: state-of-the-art and future trends”,Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 98, No.1, pp. 25-33.
[3] Seyedkashi S., Moslemi Naeini H., Liaqhat G., Mosavi Mashhadi M. and Moon Y., 2013. “Numerical and experimental study on the effects of expansion ratio,corner fillets and strain rate in warm hydroforming of aluminum tubes”, Journal of Modares Mechanical Engineering, 16, No. 5, pp. 122-131, 2012.
[4] Alaswad A., Benyounis K. and Olabi A., 2012. “Tube hydroforming process: A reference guide”, Materials & Design, 33, pp. 328-339.
[5] Jansson M., Nilsson L. and Simonsson K., 2007. “On process parameter estimation for the tube hydroforming process”, Journal of materials processing technology, 190, No. 1, pp. 1-11.
[6] Boudeau N., Lejeune A. and Gelin J.C., 2002.“Influence of material and process parameters on the development of necking and bursting in flange and tube hydroforming”, Journal of materials processing technology, 125, pp. 849-855.
[7] Lei L.P., Kim J. and Kang B.S., 2002. “Bursting failure prediction in tube hydroforming processes by using rigid–plastic FEM combined with ductile fracture criterion”, International journal of mechanical sciences, 44, No. 7, pp. 1411-1428.
[8] Mac Donald B. and Hashmi M., 2000. “Finite element simulation of bulge forming of a cross-joint from a tubular blank”, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 103, No. 3, pp. 333-342.
[9] Dohmann F. and Hartl C., 1997. “Tube hydroformingresearch and practical application”, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 71, No. 1, pp. 174-186.
[10] Koç M., 2003. “Investigation of the effect of loading path and variation in material properties on robustness of the tube hydroforming process”, Journal of materials processing technology, 133, No. 3, pp. 276-281.
[11] Yuan S., Wang X., Liu G. and Wang Z., 2007. “Control and use of wrinkles in tube hydroforming”,Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 182, No.1, pp. 6-11.
[12] Yuan S., Yuan W. and Wang X., 2006. “Effect of wrinkling behavior on formability and thickness distribution in tube hydroforming”, Journal of materials processing technology, 177, No. 1, pp. 668-671.
[13] Lang L., Li H., Yuan S., Danckert J. and Nielsen K. B., 2009. “Investigation into the pre-forming's effect during multi-stages of tube hydroforming of aluminum alloy tube by using useful wrinkles”,Journal of materials processing technology, 209, No.5, pp. 2553-2563.
[14] Loh-Mousavi M., Mori K., Hayashi K. and Bakhshi M., “Improvement of filling of die corners in boxshaped tube hydroforming by control of wrinkling”, in Proceeding of Key Engineering Materials, Trans Tech Publ, 344, pp. 461-467.
[15] Elyasi M., Bakhshi Jouybari M. and Gorgi A.H., 2010. “A new hydroforming die design for improvement of die corner filling of stepped tubes”,Journal of Modares Mechanical Engineering, 10, No.3, pp. 87-98.
[16] Elyasi M., Zoghipour P., Bakhshi M. and Gorgi A.H.,2011. “Analysis of geometry and thickness distribution in a new hydroforming die for cylindrical stepped tubes” ,Journal of Applied and Computational Sciences in Mechanics (Journal of School of Engineering), 21,No. 2.
[17] Ngaile G., Jaeger S. and Altan T., 2004. “Lubrication in tube hydroforming (THF): Part I. Lubrication mechanisms and development of model tests to evaluate lubricants and die coatings in the transition and expansion zones”, Journal of materials processing technology, 146, No. 1, pp. 108-115.
Amirkabir Journal of Mechanical Engineering
Volume 48, Issue 4
January 2017
Pages 389-400

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics