INTERNAL HIGH PRESSURE HYDROFORMING

INTERNAL HIGH PRESSURE HYDROFORMING

INTRODUCTION

As the worldwide automotive industry continues to undergo major restructuring design to slash cost, reduce weight, improve fuel consumption and generally enhance automotive performance it has turned to several new technologies. To improve efficiencies one such technology that has emerged as the rising star of the automotive stamping industry is INTERNAL HIGH PRESSURE HYDROFORMING. The promise of better part made cheaper makes a compelling introduction of this new process that is relatively young to metal forming industry. Ford, Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, General Motors, Tower, Magna are just of few high profile automakers and suppliers moving quickly to integrate the process.

 One of such example is a new light weight body concept. The space frame technology is an answer for light weight design that use aluminium as profile extrusion, casted knots and blanks. Automated assembly of body structure longs for small tolerance. Therefore the use straight and bend profile are often calibrated by high internal pressure to meet the specification. On the other hand the Ultra Light Steel Auto Body (ULSAB) study shows that essential weight saving can be reached by the use of new steel material and new production technology like hydroforming and laser welding. Although the intensive use of hydroformed components did not meet the requirement because of well known assembly problem. The ULSAB body contains two hydroformed rails. These two examples shows that the hydroforming role in the realization of light weight design.
           Tubular hydroforming of autoparts dates back to mid 1960’s. One of the first tubular hydroforming press was built in Germany in1965. However it is only since the early 1990’s with the advance in hydraulics and process controls that hydroforming has been used for volume production with the emergence of increase in number of applications.                 
           Besides this automotive sector the aircraft industry, sanitary and plumbing industry, chemical processing plants, furniture and bicycle builders and other have much to gain in this technology.