Hydroforming

Hydroforming is a cost-effective way of shaping ductile metals such as

aluminium, brass, low alloy steel, and stainless steel into lightweight,
structurally stiff and strong pieces. One of the largest applications of
hydroforming is the automotive industry, which makes use of the complex
shapes made possible by hydroforming to produce stronger, lighter, and
more rigid unibody structures for vehicles. This technique is particularly
popular with the high-end sports car industry and is also frequently
employed in the shaping of aluminium tubes for bicycle frames.

Hydroforming is a specialized type of die forming that uses a high

pressure hydraulic fluid to press room temperature working material into a
die. To hydroform aluminium into a vehicle's frame rail, a hollow tube of
aluminium is placed inside a negative mold that has the shape of the
desired result. High pressure hydraulic pumps then inject fluid at very
high pressure inside the aluminium tube which causes it to expand until it
matches the mold. The hydroformed aluminium is then removed from the
mold. Hydroforming allows complex shapes with concavities to be
formed, which would be difficult or impossible with standard solid die stamping. Hydroformed parts can often be made with a higher
stiffness-to-weight ratio and at a lower per unit cost than traditional stamped or stamped and welded parts. Virtually all metals
capable of cold forming can be hydroformed, including aluminium, brass, carbon and stainless steel, copper, and high strength
alloys.[1]

Contents
1 Main process variants
1.1 Sheet hydroforming
1.1.1 Alternative names, other variants and similar processes
1.2 Tube hydroforming
2 Typical tools
3 Geometry produced
4 Tolerances and surface finish
5 Examples
5.1 SHF
5.2 THF
6 References

Main process variants

Sheet hydroforming
This process is based on the 1950s patent for hydramolding by Fred Leuthesser, Jr. and John Fox of the Schaible Company of
Cincinnati, Ohio in the United States.[2] It was originally used in producing kitchen spouts. This was done because in addition to the
strengthening of the metal, hydromolding also produced less "grainy" parts, allowing for easier metal finishing.[3] In sheet
hydroforming (SHF) there are bladder forming (where there is a bladder that contains the liquid; no liquid contacts the sheet) and
hydroforming where the fluid contacts the sheet (no bladder). Bladder forming is sometimes called flexforming.[4] Flexforming is
mostly used for low volume productions, as in the aerospace field.[5] Forming with the fluid in direct contact with the part can be
done either with a male solid punch (this version is sometimes called hydro-mechanical deep drawing[6]) or with a female solid die.
In hydro-mechanical deep drawing, a work piece is placed on a draw ring (blank holder) over a male punch then a hydraulic chamber
surrounds the work piece and a relatively low initial pressure seats the work piece against the punch. The punch then is raised into the
hydraulic chamber and pressure is increased to as high as 100 MPa (15000 psi) which forms the part around the punch. Then the
pressure is released and punch retracted, hydraulic chamber lifted, and the process is complete.

Alternative names, other variants and similar processes

Hydromec (Hydromechanical deep drawing)

Aquadraw
Bulge forming
Explosive forming

For large parts, explosive hydroforming can generate the forming pressure by simply exploding a charge above
the part (complete with evacuated mold) which is immersed in a pool of water . The tooling can be much cheaper
than what would be required for any press-type process. The hydroforming-into-a-mold process also works using
only a shock wave in air as the pressuring medium. Particularly when the explosives are close to the workpiece,
inertia effects make the result more complicated than forming by hydrostatic pressure alone.
Rubber pad forming

Tube hydroforming
In tube hydroforming (THF) there are two major practices: high pressure and low pressure. With the high pressure process the tube is
fully enclosed in a die prior to pressurization of the tube. In low pressure the tube is slightly pressurized to a fixed volume during the
closing of the die (this used to be called the Variform process). Historically, the process was patented in the '50s,[7] but it was
industrially spread in the '70s for the production of large T-shaped joints for the oil & gas industry.Today it is mostly used in the
automotive sector, where many industrial applications can be found.[8][9] It is also a method of choice for several tubular members of
bicycles. In tube hydroforming pressure is applied to the inside of a tube that is held by dies with the desired cross sections and
forms. When the dies are closed, the tube ends are sealed by axial punches and the tube is filled with hydraulic fluid. The internal
pressure can go up to a few thousand bars and it causes the tube to calibrate against the dies. The fluid is injected into the tube
through one of the two axial punches. Axial punches are movable and their action is required to provide axial compression and to
feed material towards the center of the bulging tube. Transverse counterpunches may also be incorporated in the forming die in order
to form protrusions with small diameter/length ratio. Transverse counter punches may also be used to punch holes in the work piece
at the end of the forming process.

Designing the process has in the past been a challenging task, since initial analytical modeling is possible only for limited cases.[10]
Advances in FEA and FEM in recent years has enabled hydroform processes to be more widely engineered for varieties of parts and
materials. Often FEM simulations must be performed in order to find a feasible process solution and to define the correct loading
curves: pressure vs. time and axial feed vs. time.[11] In the case of more complex tube hydroformed parts the tube must be pre-bent
prior to loading into the hydroforming die. Bending is done sequentially along the length of the tube, with the tube being bent around
bending discs (or dies) as the tube length is fed in. Bending can be done with or without mandrels. This additional complexity of
process further increases the reliance on FEM for designing and evaluating manufacturing processes. The feasibility of a
hydroforming process must take into consideration the initial tube material properties and its potential for variation, along with the
bending process, hydraulic pressure throughout the forming process, in inclusion of axial feed or not, in order to predict metal
formability.
Typical tools
Tools and punches can be interchanged for different part requirements. One
advantage of hydroforming is the savings on tools. For sheet metal only a draw ring
and punch (metalworking) or male die is required. Depending on the part being
formed, the punch can be made from epoxy, rather than metal. The bladder of the Process sequence in tube
hydroform itself acts as the female die eliminating the need to fabricate it. This hydroforming of a t-shape with
allows for changes in material thickness to be made with usually no necessary counterpunch
changes to the tool. However, dies must be highly polished and in tube
hydroforming a two-piece die is required to allow opening and closing.

Geometry produced
Another advantage of hydroforming is that complex shapes can be made in one step. In sheet hydroforming (SHF) with the bladder
acting as the male die almost limitless geometries can be produced. However, the process is limited by the very high closing force
required in order to seal the dies, especially for large panels and thick hard materials. Small concave corner radii are difficult to be
completely calibrated, i.e. filled, because too large a pressure would be required. in fact, the die closing force can be very high, both
in tube and sheet hydroforming and may easily overcome the maximum tonnage of the forming press. In order to keep the die closing
force under prescribed limits, the maximum internal fluid pressure must be limited. This reduces the calibration abilities of the
process, i.e. it reduces the possibility of forming parts with small concave radii. Limits of the SHF process are due to risks of
excessive thinning, fracture, wrinkling and are strictly related to the material formability and to a proper selection of process
parameters (e.g. hydraulic pressure vs. time curve). Tube hydroforming (THF) can produce many geometric options as well, reducing
the need for tube welding operations. Similar limitations and risks can be listed as in SHF; however, the maximum closing force is
seldom a limiting factor in THF.[12]

Tolerances and surface finish

Hydroforming is capable of producing parts within tight tolerances including aircraft tolerances where a common tolerance for sheet
metal parts is within 0.76 mm (1/30th of an inch). Metal hydroforming also allows for a smoother finish as draw marks produced by
the traditional method of pressing a male and female die together are eliminated.

While springback has long been a topic of discussion for sheet metal forming operations it has been far less of a topic of research for
tube hydroforming. This may in part be a result of the relatively low levels of springback naturally occurring when deforming the
tubes into their closed section geometries. Tube Hydroformed sections by the nature of their closed sections are very rigid and do not
display high degrees of elastic deformation under load. For this reason it is likely that negative residual stress induced during tube
hydroforming might be insufficient to deform the part elastically after the completion of forming. However
, as more and more tubular
[13] parts, springback must be accounted for in
parts are being manufactured using high strength steel and advanced high strength steel
the design and manufacture of closed section tube hydroformed parts.

Examples
Notable examples include:

SHF
, such as those used in theAllen Telescope Array.[14]
Satellite antennas up to 6 meters in diameter
Lighting fixture housing and reflector

THF
 The brass tube of Yamaha saxophones.
The process has become popular for the manufacture of aluminium bicycle frames. The earliest commercially
manufactured one being that of theGiant Manufacturing Revive bicycle first marketed in 2003.
Many motor vehicles have major components manufactured using this technology , for example:

The technique is widely used in the manufacture of engine cradles. The first mass-produced one was for the
Ford Contour and Mystique in 1994.[15] Others from a long list include thePontiac Aztek,[16] the Honda
Accord[17] and the perimeter frame around theHarley Davidson V-Rod motorcycle's engine.[18]
As well as engine cradles, the main automotive applications for hydroforming are suspension, radiator supports
and instrument-panel support beams. The 1994 Buick Regal and Oldsmobile Cutlass had hydro-formed
instrument panel beams.[19] The first mass-produced automotive component was in 1990 with the instrument
panel support beam for the Chrysler minivan.[15]
Various vehicle bodies and body components, the earliest mass-produced one being the 1997Chevrolet
Corvette.[20] A selection from many examples are the current versions of the three major United States pickup
trucksthe Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, and Ramwhich all have hydroformed frame rails,[20] 2006
Pontiac Solstice[21] and the steel frame inside theJohn Deere HPX Gator Utility Vehicle.[22]

References
1. "The Hydroforming Process"(http://www.jmpforming.com/hydroforming/about-hydroforming-process.htm). Jones
Metal Products. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
2. "first HF patent" (http://www.google.com/patents?id=pVhxAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=fox%20Leuthesser&pg=P
A7#v=
onepage&q=fox%20Leuthesser&f=false). Retrieved 17 July 2012.
3. U.S. Patent 2,713,314 (https://www.google.com/patents/US2713314)
4. Hatipolu, H. Ali; Polat, Naki; Kksal, Arif; T
ekkaya, A.Erman (1 January 2007). "Modeling Flexforming (Fluid Cell
Forming) Process with Finite Element Method".Key Engineering Materials. 344: 469476.
doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.344.469(https://doi.org/10.4028%2Fwww.scientific.net%2FKEM.344.469).
5. Strano, M (2006). "Optimization under uncertainty of sheet-metal-forming processes by the finite element method".
Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture
. 220 (8): 1305
1315. doi:10.1243/09544054JEM480(https://doi.org/10.1243%2F09544054JEM480) .
6. Dachang, Kang; Yu, Chen; Yongchao, Xu. "Hydromechanical deep drawing of superalloycups". Journal of Materials
Processing Technology. 166 (2): 243246. doi:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2004.08.024(https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jmatpr
otec.2004.08.024).
7. "first thf patent" (http://www.google.com/patents?id=NyBQAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=fox%20Leuthesser&pg=P
A1#v=
onepage&q=fox%20Leuthesser&f=false). Retrieved 17 July 2012.
8. Hydroforming for advanced manufacturing, Ed. by M, Ko, 2009 W
oodhead Publishing Limited
9. Hydroforming technology. (conference report): Advanced Materials & Processes (Refereed) : May 1, 1997: ASM
International: v151 : n5 : p50(4)
10. Asnafi, Nader (1999). "Analytical modelling of tube hydroforming".Thin-Walled Structures. 34 (4): 295330.
doi:10.1016/S0263-8231(99)00018-X(https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS0263-8231%2899%2900018-X) .
11. Strano, Matteo; Jirathearanat, Suwat; Shr
, Shiuan-Guang; Altan, Taylan (2004). "Virtual process development in tube
hydroforming". Journal of Materials Processing Technology. 146 (1): 130136. doi:10.1016/S0924-0136(03)00853-7
(https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS0924-0136%2803%2900853-7) .
12. http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/phase-trans/2006/hydroforming.html
13. Hertell. "Great Designs in Steel 2015"(http://www.autosteel.org/~/media/Files/Autosteel/Great%20Designs%20in%2
0Steel/GDIS%202015/Track%203%20-%20Hertell.pdf) (PDF). may 11, 2015. Autosteel.org.
14. Weinreb, Sander (811 July 2003).Low cost microwave ground terminals for space communication(https://web.arch
ive.org/web/20090320130019/http://descanso.jpl.nasa.gov/RCSGSO/Proceedings/Paper/A0015Paper .pdf) (PDF).
5th International symposium on reducing the cost of spacecraft ground systems and operations. Pasadena, CA:
NASA. Archived from the original (http://descanso.jpl.nasa.gov/RCSGSO/Proceedings/Paper/A0015Paper .pdf) (pdf)
on 20 March 2009. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
15. Harjinder Singh (2003).Fundamentals of Hydroforming(https://books.google.com/books?id=WcdZ83RrerYC&pg=P
A
4&lpg=PA4&dq=ip+beam&source=web&ots=jUhroNielY&sig=6EbF0r2sukSOaSRf8OFmT A348A8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=
book_result&resnum=1&ct=result). SME. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-87263-662-0.
16. Tony Swan (July 2000)."2001 Pontiac Aztek - First Drive Review"(http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car
_shopping/suvs_family_haulers/2001_pontiac_aztek_first_drive_review) . Caranddriver.com. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
17. Eric Lundin (24 July 2003)."Tier 1 supplier builds four-stage competitivestrategy" (http://www.thefabricator.com/Hydr
oforming/Hydroforming_Article.cfm?ID=649). The Fabricator. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
18. "2009 Harley Davidson V-Rod Muscle" (http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2008/07/22/2009-harley-davidson-v-rod-m
uscle/). thekneeslider.com. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
19. "Use of USLAB technologies by automakers growing rapidly"(http://www.steel.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Media
_Center1&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7950). American Iron and Steel Institute. 2008.
Retrieved 2008-12-05.
20. "Hydroformed Frame Repairs"(http://www.i-car.com/html_pages/technical_information/advantage/advantage_online
_archives/2004/091304.shtml). I-Car Advantage Online. 13 September 2004. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
21. "2006 Pontiac Solstice Sheetmetal Hydroforming eTchnology" (http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/09/16/143
195.html). The Auto Channel. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
22. "Utility Vehicle has hydroformed steel frame"(http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/28751). ThomasNet. 5 December
2003. Retrieved 2008-12-05.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hydroforming&oldid=790988133

"

This page was last edited on 17 July 2017, at 11:37.

Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of theWikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.