Analysis and experiment on tube hydroforming in a rectangular cross-sectional die. (May 2017) - Jia, Yukun
Rectangular section parts created through hydroforming have good application prospects in the automotive industry because of their advantages of simple manufacturing procedure, high forming quality, and greater bending module than circular cross-sectional parts. Forming quality is directly influenced by the formed corner parameters of rectangular section parts. It is also a difficult matter in rectangular section hydroforming. The hydroforming rules of an aluminum alloy circular tube are regarded as the research object in this study to investigate the rules of square cross-sectional parts in the hydroforming process. First, the mechanical parameters of the molding material are obtained through experiments. Second, a hydroforming experimental system is self-designed, and tube hydroforming without axial feed is investigated to determine the key parameters of tube forming. Simulation analysis is then conducted for the entire process of tube hydroforming using the nonlinear finite element software DYNAFORM. The finite element model and the correctness of the calculation method are verified by comparing their results with the experimental results. Thereafter, the influence of internal pressure, friction coefficient, and loading path on pipe forming quality is examined. Necessary references are provided for engineering applications.