Advanced Forming

Processes
 Syllabus
Introduction to advanced forming process,
High energy rate forming process- explosive,
electro-hydraulic, magnetic pulse forming.
Forming with hydrostatic pressure- hydro-
mechanical and hydro forming process.
 Introduction to advanced forming process
INTRODUCTION :
Forming can be distinguished according to several criteria:
1.According to products: forming of semi-products, final products
2.According to temperature: forming under cold, warm or hot conditions
3.According to temperature effect occurring during forming (a larger portion of the
total energy changes into heat):
•Isothermal forming (at constant temperature) – the entire generated heat is
transferred to the surrounding environment and thus the temperature remains
constant.
•Adiabatic forming (at constant heat) – the entire generated heat is accumulated in
the deformed work-piece and is consumed by temperature increase. It is similar to
high energy rate forming.
•Polytropic – a portion of the generated heat is accumulated, a portion is transferred
away. The temperature usually increases, but less than during adiabatic forming; is
usually neglected during forming via conventional technologies.
4.According to effect of deformation force: static, dynamic (cyclic, by explosion).
5.According to relation of deformation zone to volume of the work-piece: bulk, sheet
 HYDRO-MECHANICAL DEEP DRAWING
• Sheet or bulk forming can generally be categorized in two large groups,
conventional and non-conventional forming methods. Conventional
methods are known methods widely used in production. Machines for these
methods are often economically more available than machines for non-
conventional methods. Non-conventional methods are new methods
developed via modifications of conventional methods, or by applications of
new technologies. These methods bring about many advantages comparing
to conventional methods.
• Forming by liquids belong to non-conventional forming methods, for which
liquid is used as non-solid forming devices serving as forming
surroundings. The liquid replaces punch or plunger, possibly another tool,
the production of which is often costly. Equipment for forming by liquid
can either be individual machines, or it can be additional equipment of
hydraulic presses. Purchase cost of such equipment is high, thus these
methods are used for forming in serial productions. These methods are used
to produce complicated and precise components. Liquids have their
application also during forming and bending of tubes, during which they
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are advantageously used to stabilize the bent.
Technology of Hydro-mechanical deep drawing (HMDD)
• Hydro-mechanical deep drawing can be categorized as a progressive sheet
forming technology. Contrary to the conventional deep drawing technology,
HMDD uses, instead of a conventional blank holder, a die (draw ring),
which is usually filled with a water-based emulsion. A groove with sealing
is located in the vicinity of the drawing edge. The pressure liquid represents
the blank holder including the drawing edge. A cut-piece of sheet (hold-
down cylinder) is placed on the pressure plate, while its lower side is in
contact with the level of the liquid in the die cavity. After the blank holder
fixed on the outer ram of the press touches down, closing and sealing of the
cylinder-die cavity system happens. By pushing of the punch on the sheet
and by its entering into the liquid, a steep increase in pressure occurs in the
die cavity, which results in shaping of the sheet by collaring around the
entire punch surface till the final shape of a hollow cylinder component is
achieved. Overflowing liquid is drained out from the die cavity through
control and regulation systems of the machine. The value of pressure
changes during drawing. The pressure is required to be regulated especially
during drawing of thin sheets with wall thicknesses around 1 mm.
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Technology of Hydro-mechanical deep drawing (HMDD)
• Hydro-mechanical deep drawing (HMDD) represents a technically and
economically progressive technology of deep drawing by a working liquid
and belongs to non-conventional technologies of sheet forming. The
mentioned technology can be applied to produce deeper hollow vessels, of
rotary and non-rotary shapes, as well as drawings with flanges.
Technology of Hydro-mechanical deep drawing (HMDD)
• At present, there are various technologies derived from the basic HMDD
method. From the constructional point of view, these are especially the
following: double acting drawing, drawing with rotary punch, drawing with
movable chamber bottom/walls, drawing with pushing ring, reverse
drawing, drawing with a second draw, drawing into a chamber with
transducer, and finally drawing with the first and second draws. For
example, during double acting drawing, a single cylinder punch is replaced
by a cylinder punch with a shoulder. This enables production of more
complex product shapes.

Double acting drawing Drawing with rotary punch

Advantages of HMDD
1. Decrease in number of processing steps
2. lower number of inter-pass annealing's
3. high-quality surfaces and shape accuracy of drawn products
4. minimum thinning of the products in the bottom bends (only 2-3%)
5. possibility to drawn surface-treated sheets (with no damage).
Disadvantages of HMDD
The necessity to use specialized devices and presses, only drawn products
with flanges can be produced when the basic method is applied, high holding
pressure
Materials applicable for HDMM forming
1.carbon steels 2. stainless steels 3. copper and its alloys 4 aluminum
Summary
During forming of complex components by the HMDD method, the mass of
the products can be decreased while maintaining their stiffness. Formed
components are often used in automotive industry
 EXPLOSIVE FORMING
Introduction

Metallic materials are formed by a shock wave invoked by: combustion of

gaseous mixtures, explosion of a propellant, explosion of an explosive.
Contact of the formed material with energy source can be direct
(approximating), or transmitted by a carrying medium, water, sand, possibly
air, or by a solid instrument. Graphical depiction of the individual possibilities
is shown in Fig. 1.

1. Explosive forming by a gaseous mixture

Energy sources are usually flammable gasses: hydrogen, methane, propane,
butane. Subsequently, they are mixed with oxygen and inert gases. The
combustion speed of an explosive mixture can be regulated by added volume
of inert gases (He2, Ar2, N2, CO2). This method is used to form thin-walled
products of smaller dimensions. It requires a massive die of a relatively
complex construction.
 EXPLOSIVE FORMING

2. Explosive forming by propellants and explosives

• Propellants and explosives are characterized by the following parameters:
heat of explosion (expresses the amount of energy chemically bound in
1kg of an explosive), detonation velocity (velocity of the chemical
reaction), relative working capacity, i.e. relative effective energy – REE
(coefficient of energetic efficiency of an explosive compared to the
standard Nitroglykol efficiency). Propellants feature relatively low
combustion velocity (~ 2000 ms-1) and explosion pressure (2 GPa). A
slower development of heat from propellants can be transferred to formed
components. Propellants are used to form components of smaller
dimensions.
• The carrying medium is most often water or sand. Calculation of the
charge is based on determination of the relation between the deformation
energy necessary to invoke forming of a product and the energy released
by an explosive. For the energy contained within an explosive it is
necessary to calculate with its loss during transformation from chemical to
pressure energy and loses in transferring environment.
 EXPLOSIVE FORMING

2. Explosive forming by propellants and explosives

• Loses describe efficiency of the process:

where c, ch, p, d are overall, chemical, transfer and deformation

efficiency of the process.
• The overall efficiency c of explosive forming is around 10%.
• Explosive forming is a technology suitable for single-part productions of
large components, for which forming devices cannot be applied due to
large dimensions of the components or insufficient outputs of presses. It is
also suitable for forming of materials with low formability and for
production of prototypes. It features low costs of equipment, usually only
die. A schematic depiction of individual methods of explosive forming is
in Fig.
 EXPLOSIVE FORMING

2. Explosive forming by propellants and explosives

(a) Schematic illustration of the (b) Illustration of the confined method

explosive forming process of the explosive bulging of tubes
ELECTROHYDRAULIC AND ELECTROMAGNETIC FORMING

Introduction
• The principle of electrohydraulic forming is creation of a
blast wave within a liquid via discharge, by releasing of
electric energy by condenser discharging.
• The discharge can be released:
a) between two electrodes, b) via exploding wire.
• The principle of electromagnetic forming is based on
discharging of electric energy accumulated in a condenser
battery. The energy is discharged within 10 to 100
milliseconds through an induction coil, a strong pulse
magnetic field generates, which induces plastic
deformation in the material.
 ELECTROHYDRAULIC FORMING

Discharge via spark gap

• Amplitude of the pressure in a ball shock wave reaches the
value of 105 MPa within the time interval of 10-6s. Energy
WE accumulated in condenser has to be higher than the
deformation energy by losses of the process:
• (5.1)
• Where C is capacity, U is voltage, ηc is overall efficiency.
• The pressure on the shock front is a function p=f
(discharged energy WE, inductivity, working spark gap
length, geometry of electrodes, their number and
locations).
 ELECTROHYDRAULIC FORMING

Discharge via spark gap

The arrangement of electrodes (spark gap) in the technological entity in

shown in

Arrangement of electrodes in technological entity

1 – workpiece, 2 – electrodes, 3 – insulation, 4 – instrument, 5 – water area

 ELECTROHYDRAULIC FORMING

Discharge via spark gap

For components of large dimensions and complex geometries, the

shock wave can be directedband concentrated by reflectors

Technological entity with reflectors

1 – electrode, 2 – reflector, 3 – workpiece, 4 – instrument, 5 – liquid

 ELECTROHYDRAULIC FORMING

Discharge via exploding wire

Bridging of the spark gap using a wire can bring about the following
advantages: vapors of evaporated wire increase expansion pressure,
wire can direct shock wave movement, efficiency of discharge
increases and magnitude of applied voltage decreases. Disadvantage is
the necessity to input new wires for repetitive discharges. Arrangement
of the device is shown in Fig.

Schematic depiction of device for electrohydraulic forming via exploding wire

 ELECTROMAGNETIC FORMING

Introduction
• The principle of the method is discharging of electric
energy accumulated in a condenser battery within 10 to
100 milliseconds through an induction coil, which invokes
generation of a strong pulse magnetic field. Current is
induced in a formed material (magnetic conductor)
inserted into the magnetic field, which generates its own
magnetic field. Forming is performed by repulsive forces
of both the fields. In the commonly used devices, the
pressures usually reach up to the orders of 1000 MPa. A
basic scheme of the device is shown in Fig.
 ELECTROMAGNETIC FORMING

Schematic depiction of electromagnetic pulse device

ELECTROHYDRAULIC AND ELECTROMAGNETIC FORMING

Summary
• According to the mutual positioning of the coil and
workpiece, forming can be categorized as: expansive (coil
is within workpiece cavity), compressive (workpiece is
within coil cavity).
• Magnetic field can be rectified by so called concentrators.
Concentrators enable to increase technological elasticity
(by replacement of concentrators), simplicity (without
movable components) and consequently ensuing
reliability, low noisiness, high and uniform pressures, low
weight of the device.
 HYDROSTATIC EXTRUSION

Introduction
• Hydrostatic extrusion is defined as an extrusion under cold or hot
conditions, during which direct contact of the punch with material is
replaced by application of a high-pressure medium surrounding the
workpiece from all sides. The principle of the method is shown in
Fig.

Principle of hydrostatic extrusion

 HYDROSTATIC EXTRUSION

• For hydrostatic extrusion, single-purpose hydrostatic extrusion

presses or hydraulic presses with specialized equipment are used.
• The mostly extruded materials are carbon and alloyed steels,
multilayered materials combining ferrous and non-ferrous metals,
Al, Mg, Cu alloys, composites, materials with low plasticities (Mg,
Mo, Be, W) and high-speed steels.

Pros and cons

1. During conventional extrusion, the extrusion force is increased by
friction forces occurring at container walls. Likewise is the length
of the extruded workpiece, which limits the workpiece length.
During hydrostatic extrusion (HE), contact of the workpiece with
container wall does not occur and workpiece length is practically
unlimited.
 HYDROSTATIC EXTRUSION

Pros and cons

2. During conventional extrusion, short shots (waste) containing up to
15% weight of the workpieces occur.
3. During HE, hydrodynamic lubrication regime can be induced,
brittle materials can be formed, extruding pressures can be
decreased and thus loading of the instruments can be decreased and
their lifetimes increased.
4. Deformation degree can be increased, as well as extrusion speed
and formability of the extruded material.
The main disadvantage ensues from compressibility of the working medium
(some liquids compress by up to 30% at the pressure of 2500 MPa).
The consequence is decreased stability of the process accompanied by
crumpling of the extruded material surface. The effect of force is transferred
on the formed material via a pressure medium (with a certain
compressibility), which results in an unsteady linking of the pressure source
with workpiece.
 HYDROSTATIC EXTRUSION
The hydrostatic pressure reaches its maximum value at the beginning. As soon
as the material begins to move, friction coefficient decreases from the
quiescent value to movement value, workpiece accelerates and pressure
decreases to the value necessary to continue the movement. Then the process
is repeated. This results in an unstable extrusion velocity, which is related to
pressure oscillation.
The pressure media have to meet the following requirements: uniformly
transfer pressure load and feature low compressibility. Physical and chemical
reactions with material, instruments and lubrication should be minimal. They
should enable application of a wide interval of working temperatures, feature
low thermal conductivity and thermal capacity. Viscosity and lubricating
properties have to be stable within the range of working temperatures. At
present, cold extrusion is almost always performed with liquid media.

Summary
Hydrostatic extrusion was developed especially to form materials with low
formability. Theoretic principles for formability increase at hydrostatic
pressure are mathematically described using the Kolmogorov equation.
 HYDROFORMING

Introduction

1. Hydro Forming uses water pressure to form complex

shapes from sheet or tube material.
2. The pressure may go up about 60,000 psi depending on
the component.
3. Hydroforming is a cost-effective way of shaping ductile
metals such as aluminum, brass, low alloy ste els,
stainless steel into lightweight, structurally stiff and
strong pieces.
 TUBE HYDROFORMING
1. Used when a complex shape is needed.
2. A section of cold-rolled steel tubing is placed in a closed
die set.
3. A pressurized fluid is introduced into the ends of the tube
4. The tube is reshaped to the confine of the cavity.
Outer tool part Section A - A

Tube

Upper tool part

Inner tool part not shown
 SHEET HYDROFORMING

1. Sheet steel is forced into a female cavity by water

under pressure from a pump or by press action.
2. Sheet steel is deformed by a male punch, which acts
against the fluid under pressure.
APPLICATIONS

• Automotive industry
• Sanitary use
• Aerospace
– Lighter, stiffer parts
APPLICATIONS

1. Body shell
2. Driving shaft
3. Assembled camshaft
4. Exhaust systems
5. Engine cooling system
6. Radiator frame
7. Safety requirements
8. Engine bearer
9. Integral member
10. Cross member
11. Frame structure parts
12. Axle elements
 DOUBLE SHEET HYDRO FORMING
• Integration of more parts, further reduction of components & thus steps.
• Stiffness increase and reduction in overall spring back due to closed box
section & continuous weld section.
• A complete component is made in one single hydroforming step, with only
top and bottom die .
ADVANTAGES

1. Hydroforming draws material into the mold Part consolidation

2. Weight reduction through more efficient section design and
tailoring of the wall thickness
3. Improved structural strength and stiffness
4. Lower tooling cost due to fewer parts
5. Fewer secondary operations (no welding of sections required and
holes may be punched during hydroforming)
6. Tight dimensional tolerances and low spring back
7. Reduced scrap
DISADVANTAGES

1. Slow cycle time.

2. Expensive equipment and lack of extensive knowledge base for
process and tool design.
3. Requires new welding techniques for assembly.