Experimental and finite element study of the hydroforming bi-layered tubular components

The application of finite element method (FEM) in the area of metal forming and material processing has been increasing rapidly during the recent years. The present study has been carried out on one of the unconventional metal forming processes called hydroforming of a multi-layered tube. The study involved both experimental and simulation work using FEA. Multi-layered tubes have extensive advantages in both domestic and industrial uses. The specimen tube consists of two different layers of materials. The outer tube material is brass and the inner tube material is copper. This project is mainly dedicated to the modelling, simulation and advanced study of one of the unconventional metal forming processes called hydroforming in which extremely high fluid pressure is used to deform the metal into desired shape. Various types of complex industrial products can be made by hydroforming. This process is suitable to produce seamless, lightweight, near net shaped industrial components. There are some complex products, which are easier to produce by hydroforming than by conventional technique.\n\nIn this research work the main forming load is hydrostatic pressure applied to the internal surface of the tube, together with an in-plane compressive load applied simultaneously. The blank is placed in a pre-shaped die block and due to the action of simultaneous internal pressure and axial load; it is formed into a complex desired shape. If the internal pressure is too high during the process without sufficient axial load it may cause the tube to burst, on the other hand too large axial load without applying sufficient internal pressure may cause wrinkling of the tube. For these reasons, a number of simulations of the hydroforming process have been carried out for different axial load and internal pressure combinations and optimum conditions have been established for the particular process. This simulated hydroforming of composite material tube and the formed product has been analysed on the basis of forming conditions and the simulated forming conditions have been verified by experiment. The simulations of hydroforming process for X or T branch have been carried by using the commercial finite element package ANSYS.