Hydroforming for Advanced Manufacturing

Hydroforming uses a pressurised fluid to form component shapes. The process allows the manufacture of lighter, more complex shapes with increased strength at lower cost compared to more traditional techniques such as stamping, forging, casting or welding. As a result hydroformed components are increasingly being used in the aerospace, automotive and other industries. This authoritative book reviews the principles, applications and optimisation of this important process. After an introduction, the first part of the book reviews the principles of hydroforming, from equipment and materials to forming processes, design and modelling. The second part of the book reviews the range of hydroforming techniques, the shaping of particular components and the application of hydroforming in aerospace and automotive engineering. With its distinguished editor and team of contributors, Hydroforming for advanced manufacturing will be a valuable reference for all those developing and applying this important process. Contents......Page 6 Contributor contact details......Page 12 Preface......Page 16 1.1 Introduction......Page 18 1.2 Hydroforming systems, equipment, tooling and controls......Page 27 1.3 Materials, formability, forming limits and advantages......Page 32 1.4 Tribology in hydroforming – friction, wear, lubricants, coatings and testing methods......Page 34 1.5 Computer simulations for tube hydroforming......Page 38 1.6 Developments in hydroforming and concluding remarks......Page 41 1.7 References......Page 45 Part I: Principles of hydroforming......Page 48 2.2 Presses......Page 50 2.3 Pressure intensification systems......Page 56 2.4 Controls......Page 60 2.5 Tooling......Page 62 2.6 Future trends......Page 67 2.8 References......Page 68 3.1 Introduction......Page 69 3.2 Stress and strain relationships in tube hydroforming......Page 71 3.3 Determination of forming limits......Page 79 3.4 Forming loads and process control......Page 83 3.5 Preceding forming operations......Page 86 3.6 References......Page 92 4.1 Introduction......Page 94 4.2 Steel materials......Page 95 4.3 Aluminium and magnesium alloys......Page 98 4.4 Formability testing......Page 101 4.5 Future trends......Page 104 4.6 References......Page 107 5.1 Introduction......Page 110 5.2 Tube formability......Page 111 5.3 Measuring tube formability......Page 116 5.4 Tube-forming limits......Page 125 5.5 Formability analysis for numerical simulations......Page 131 5.6 Formability analysis in the plant......Page 132 5.7 Conclusions and future trends......Page 133 5.8 References......Page 134 6.1 Introduction to tube hydroforming design......Page 138 6.2 Technological classifications of tube hydroforming processes......Page 140 6.3 Hydroformability of tubular parts......Page 144 6.4 Guidelines for process design......Page 148 6.5 Finite element analysis strategies for process design......Page 153 6.6 Designing a new hydroforming process: a simple example......Page 156 6.7 References......Page 159 7.1 Introduction......Page 161 7.2 Parameters that influence friction, lubrication, and wear......Page 165 7.3 Lubrication mechanisms......Page 171 7.4 Development and evaluation of hydroforming lubricants......Page 180 7.5 Impact of numerical modelling in hydroforming tribology......Page 189 7.7 References......Page 194 Part II: Hydroforming techniques and their applications......Page 196 8.1 Introduction......Page 198 8.2 Concept of rotary draw bending process......Page 199 8.3 Material behavior in rotary draw bending process......Page 200 8.4 Pre-flattening/crushing......Page 210 8.5 Part design and tube formability......Page 214 8.7 References......Page 217 9.2 Hydropiercing......Page 219 9.3 End-cutting and saw-cutting......Page 226 9.4 Welding......Page 229 9.5 References......Page 232 10.2 Hydroforming processes......Page 233 10.3 Dies and presses for hydromechanical deep drawing......Page 251 10.4 References......Page 254 11.1 Introduction......Page 255 11.2 Aluminum and magnesium alloy tubes......Page 256 11.3 Aluminum tube bending and hydroforming......Page 265 11.4 Magnesium tube bending......Page 272 11.5 Forming at elevated temperatures......Page 274 11.6 Automotive applications and future trends......Page 277 11.8 References......Page 280 12.1 Introduction......Page 284 12.2 Low-pressure hydroforming......Page 285 12.3 Part characteristics......Page 288 12.4 Cross-section pre-forming......Page 294 12.5 Conclusions......Page 302 12.6 Reference......Page 303 13.1 Introduction......Page 304 13.2 So many options; how to choose?......Page 305 13.4 Stampings and assemblies......Page 306 13.5 Tube forming......Page 307 13.6 Commonly held misconceptions......Page 315 13.7 Low-pressure hydroforming......Page 316 13.8 High-pressure hydroforming......Page 319 13.9 Other comparative process factors......Page 325 13.10 Conclusions......Page 330 13.11 References......Page 331 14.2 Evolution of the technology......Page 332 14.3 How fluid cell pressing works......Page 334 14.4 Recent developments......Page 336 14.5 Essentials of ductile materials......Page 340 14.6 Suitable part applications......Page 342 14.7 Tools (form blocks)......Page 343 14.8 Part manufacture......Page 347 14.9 Conclusions......Page 350 15.1 Introduction......Page 352 15.2 What makes it so difficult to lose weight?......Page 353 15.3 How to lose weight......Page 354 15.4 How tube hydroforming can help you lose it......Page 355 15.5 Weight loss limitations and how to address them......Page 365 15.7 References......Page 368 16.2 Lightweight materials: advantages and disadvantages in manufacturing......Page 369 16.3 Forming technologies for lightweight materials......Page 370 16.4 Warm hydroforming: state-of-the-art review......Page 371 16.5 Comparison of warm and cold hydroforming: a numerical study......Page 380 16.6 Process design and control in warm hydroforming......Page 384 16.7 Characterization of materials for warm hydroforming conditions......Page 390 16.8 References......Page 397 Index......Page 401 Hydroforming uses a pressurized fluid to form component shapes. The process allows the manufacture of lighter, complex shapes with increased strength at lower cost compared to traditional techniques such as stamping, forging, casting or welding. This book reviews the principles of hydroforming, from equipment and materials to forming processes.