Finite element analysis and optimization of tube hydroforming process

Tube Hydroforming is one of the most effective manufacturing processes used in modern times since it satisfies the current robust requirements of the manufacturing industry. It finds enormous applications in the automobile and aerospace sectors owing to the inherent advantages over conventional forming processes, like consumption of less material with no compromise on the part strength. Complex geometries can be developed with high accuracy in less number of manufacturing stages, which would, in turn, reduce the overall manufacturing cost. Such an ability of this process to fabricate products with high strength-to-weight ratios at economical costs make it energy-efficient and it does push a step further towards sustainable and modern innovative manufacturing. This paper presents the development of a detailed nonlinear finite element model for the tube hydroforming process that uses Abaqus/Explicit as a computational tool. Elastic-plastic material constitutive behavior is defined using a flow-stress equation, and the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian technique (ALE) is used to determine the material flow. Input parameters like applied pressure, initial tube thickness, and die-corner radius are considered against output parameters like formed tube thickness, final part dimensions, and stress concentration. The developed model is validated with a previously published literature by Rakesh A. Shinde et al. (2016), and the results are found to agree for the case of percentage of thickness reduction. Following the work done by Rakesh A. Shinde et al., three different numerical cases are created with different die corner radii and tube thicknesses, for 3 different internal pressure values, viz., 41 MPa, 43 MPa, and 45 MPa. The results obtained in the paper are first replicated, and the research is further extended for different loading/unloading rates and peak load holding times (loading paths). Results indicate the sufficiency of only lower loads to produce the required formability. Accordingly, simulations are also performed for cases of lower pressures. Results show that accurate part dimensions at much lower stress concentrations could be obtained at lower values of pressure. The presented work also looks into the optimisation of the process using a well-established DOE technique – Response Surface Methodology. Accordingly, a multi-objective optimisation is performed, considering 20 simulations for the cases of three parameters and three levels. The significant influencing parameter is also identified.