INCREASING THE HYDROFORMING KNOWLEDGE BASE

Tube hydroforming has become a viable economic alternative to various stamping and welding processes in automotive applications

The research on tube hydroforming during the last five years has led to state-of-the-art processes that allow a variety of automotive components to be manufactured in a high-volume environment. However, compared to conventional stamping, the process is still relatively new, and there is not much of a “knowledge base” to assist product and process designers. To benefit from the technology and make educated decisions throughout the design process, it is important for designers to understand the advantages and disadvantages of hydroforming, the status of the current technology, and the critical issues that must be considered for future development.

Along with mass, material, and cost reduction other advantages include improved structural strength and stiffness, lower tooling cost due to fewer parts, fewer secondary operations since less welding is required and holes may be punched during hydroforming, reduced dimensional variations, and reduced scrap. Drawbacks include slow cycle time, expensive equipment, and lack of experience in process and tool design. Therefore, the feasibility of hydroforming versus conventional stamping and welding must be evaluated both economically and mechanically for each component.