Computer Aided Simulation as valid tool for sheet hydroforming process development

Sheet Hydroforming is considered a good opportunity when it is necessary to deal with complex shapes. However, it is common knowledge that it is quite difficult to control such a kind of technology because of an appropriate press tooling is necessary and the press tooling supplier is often the technology supplier for the given problem [1]. Within a larger research program it is demonstrated that it is possible to use traditional hydraulic press tooling having the chance to manage a high level of process variables thanks to the development of a dedicated forming tool named hydroforming cell. The architecture and the number and type of process variables are developed thanks to the extensive usage of CAE techniques. An implicit solver is used to verify the structural behaviour of the hydroforming cell in terms of maximum stress levels and components stiffness while an explicit solver has helped to define the samples shapes and their main features and thanks to them it is possible to explore the process design space. An appropriate experimental phase has demonstrated the effectiveness of the developed procedure.