Study on hydroforming of pre-bent tubes

Abstract

Tubes with various shapes and cross-sections are widely applied to pipe fitting, automobile and bicycle industries. In this paper, FE simulations of tube hydrofroming of pre-bent tubes are conducted. Carbon steel and pure copper are used as the tube materials. The effects of the loading paths on the formability, thickness distribution and corner radius of the products are discussed. Hydroforming experiments of pre-bent carbon steel and copper tubes are also conducted using a selfdeveloped hydraulic machine. From the comparisons of the thickness distributions and filling-up extent at the die corners, the numerical models and the designed loading paths are validated.