Deformation Behavior of Medium-strength TA18 High-pressure Tubes During NC Bending with Different Bending Radii

To improve the forming quality and forming limit of the numerical control (NC) bending of high-pressure titanium alloy tubes, in this study, using three-dimensional (3D) finite element method, deformation behavior of medium-strength TA18 high-pressure tubes during NC bending with different bending radii is investigated. The results show that the cross-sectional deformation and the wall thickness variation during NC bending of TA18 tubes using a small bending radius (less than 2 times of tube outside diameter) are clearly different from that using a normal bending radius (between 2 and 4 times of tube outside diameter). For bending with a normal bending radius, with or without a mandrel, the distribution of the flattening in the bending area resembles a platform and an asymmetric parabola, respectively. For bending with a small bending radius, with or without a mandrel, the flattening both distributes like a parabola, but the former has a stable peak which deflects toward the initial bending section, and the latter has a more pronounced peak with a bending angle and deflects slightly toward the bending section. The wall thickness variations with a normal bending radius, with and without a mandrel, both resemble a platform when the bending angle exceeds a certain angle. For the bending with a small radius, the distribution of the wall thickness variation without a mandrel follows an approximate parabola which increases in value as the bending angle increases. If a mandrel is used, the thickening ratio increases from the initial bending section to the bending section.     

Springback prediction of thick-walled high-strength titanium tube bending

Significant springback occurs after tube rotary-draw-bending （RDB）, especially for a high-strength Ti-3A1-2.5V tube （HSTT） due to its high ratio of yield strength to Young＇s modulus. The combination scheme of explicit and implicit is preferred to predict the springback. This simulation strategy includes several numerical parameters, such as element type, number of elements through thickness （NEL）, element size, etc. However, the influences of these parameters on spring- back prediction accuracy are not fully understood. Thus, taking the geometrical specification 9.525 mm × 0.508 mm ofa HSTT as the objective, the effects of numerical parameters on prediction accuracy and computation efficiency of springback simulation of HSTT RDB are investigated. The simulated springback results are compared with experimental ones. The main results are： （1） solid and continuum-shell elements predict the experimental results well; （2） for C3DSR elements, NEL of at least 3 is required to obtain reliable results and a relative error of 29% can occur as NEL is varied in the range of 1-3; （3） specifying damping factor typically works well in Abaqus/Emplicit simulation of springback and the springback results are sensitive to the magnitude of damping factor. In addition, the explanations of the effect rules are given and a guideline is added.     

基于中性层偏移的Z型材滚弯成形回弹预测

以提高大截面Z型材四轴滚弯成形精度为目的，通过综合考虑材料属性、几何特征和成形半径等因素对回弹的影响，建立了引入中性层偏移的大截面Z型材弯曲回弹解析模型，研究了7075-O和7475-O铝合金Z型材在不同滚弯成形半径下的回弹规律，并进行滚弯成形实验验证。结果表明，与忽略中性层偏移影响的型材回弹预测经验模型相比，基于中性层偏移的回弹预测模型能够准确预测大截面Z型材的回弹量，在相同的曲率半径下，预测回弹变形的最大相对误差从11.681%减小到3.347%。     

整体壁板时效成形的回弹预测及模面补偿技术

时效成形是一种用于制造飞机整体壁板零件的成形工艺。由于其具有回弹量大的特点,需要开发一种准确预测成形后回弹量的方法,并在此基础上对模具型面进行补偿,以消除回弹对成形精度的影响。本文将有限元法应用于网格式高筋壁板时效成形及回弹的分析,并通过实验验证了有限元预测回弹量的准确性。提出了一种基于有限元回弹预测的适用于铝合金时效成形的模具型面补偿算法,并应用该算法进行了复杂高筋整体壁板局部件时效成形的修模计算分析。通过9次迭代计算,零件成形误差减小到0.4 mm以内,证明了该算法具有收敛速度快、精度高的优点。     

Advances and challenges on springback control for creep age forming of aluminum alloy

Creep age forming (CAF) is an advanced forming technology that combines creep deformation and age hardening processes. When compared with the conventional forming technologies including roll bending and shot-peen forming, CAF has many advantages of low residual stress, excellent dimensional stability, good service performance and short production cycle. It is an optimal technique for precise manufacturing for shape and properties of large-scale complicated thin-walled components of light-weight and high strength aluminum alloys in the aviation and aerospace industries. Nevertheless, CAF has an inevitable disadvantage that a large amount of springback occurs after unloading, which brings a challenge on the accurate shape forming and property tailoring of components. Therefore, how to achieve accurate prediction and control of springback has always been a bottleneck hindering the development of CAF to more industrial applications. After the factors of affecting springback and measures of reducing springback are summarized from the internal and external aspects, constitutive models for predicting springback and springback compensation methods for CAF of aluminum alloy panel components are reviewed. Then, a review of research progresses on tool design for CAF is presented. Finally, in view of the key issue that it is difficult to predict and control the shape and properties of components during CAF, the technical challenges are discussed and future development trends of CAF are prospected.     

铝合金厚板时效成形回弹补偿算法

 时效成形是一种适用于飞机整体壁板零件制造的成形工艺,具有回弹量大的特点,因此需要在准确预测回弹量的基础上对模具型面进行修正,以消除回弹对成形精度的影响。本文提出了一种基于有限元计算驱动的适用于铝合金时效成形的模具型面迭代修正算法,并应用该算法进行了单曲率的圆柱面零件、双曲率的球面零件及马鞍形零件的修模计算分析。通过4次迭代计算,使圆柱面和球面零件成形误差减小到0.4 mm以内;通过5次迭代,使马鞍形零件除4个角部外,其余部位型面误差小于0.5 mm。证明了该回弹补偿算法具有计算精度高、收敛速度快的优点。     

凸弯边零件液压橡皮成形回弹数值模拟分析

液压橡皮成形是飞机制造业中的一种非常重要的方法。回弹是液压橡皮成形中常见的缺陷,并直接影响产品质量。为此探讨了回弹产生的力学机理,并利用专业金属板料成形软件PAM-STAMP2G模拟凸弯边零件橡皮成形的成形和回弹过程。仿真结果表明：应力的分布不均匀导致了回弹角度分布不均匀,下层纤维沿弯曲方向的压应力的较大值和下层纤维沿弯曲方向的压应力较小值对应于回弹角度的较大值和较小值。     

Forming Characteristics of Al-alloy Large-diameter Thin-walled Tubes in NC-bending Under Axial Compressive Loads

Tube thinning control without wrinkling occurring is a key problem urgently to be solved for improving the forming qualities in numerical control (NC) bending processes of large-diameter Al-alloy thin-walled tubes (AATTs). It may be a way solving this problem to exert axial compression loads (ACL) on the tube end in the bending. Thus, this article establishes a three-dimensional (3D) elastic-plastic explicit finite element (FE) model for the bending under ACL and has its reliability verified. Through a multi-index orthogonal experiment design, a combination of process parameters, each expressed by a proper range, for this FE model is derived to overcome the compression instability on tube ends. By combining the FE model with a wrinkling energy prediction model, an in-depth study is conducted on the forming characteristics of large-diameter AATTs with small bending radii and it can be concluded that (1) The larger the tube diameters and the smaller the bending radii, the larger the induced tangent tension stress zones on tube intrados, by which the tube maximum tangent compression stress zones will be partitioned in the bending processes; thus, the smaller the ACL roles in decreasing thinning degrees and the larger the compression instability possibilities on tube ends. (2) The tube wrinkling possibilities under ACL are larger than without ACL acting in the earlier forming periods, and smaller in the later ones. (3) For the tubes with a size factor less than 80, the ACL roles in decreasing thinning degrees are stronger than in increasing wrinkling possibilities.     

钛合金板料热压弯过程数值模拟

采用有限元软件ABAQUS对Ti-6Al-4V合金板料热压弯成形过程进行了模拟,分析了应力应变分布规律和工艺参数对成形过程的影响。研究表明,压弯过程的变形主要集中在大厚度区域中间位置;当板料表面与模具多点接触后,板料由自由弯曲变为校正弯曲,成形力急剧增大;保压600s时板料最大回弹量和上模成形力分别降低84%和94%。在相同工艺条件下的试验结果验证了有限元模拟的准确性。     

Plastic deformation analysis and forming quality prediction of tube NC bending

Plane strain assumption and exponent hardening law are used to investigate the plastic deformation in tube bending. Some theoretical formulae including stress, curvature radius of neu-tral layer, angle of neutral layer deviation, bending moment, wall thickness variation and cross-section distortion, are developed to explain the phenomena in tube bending and their magnitudes are also determined. During unloading process, the springback angle is deduced using the virtual work principle, and springback radius is also given according to the length of the neutral layer which remains unchanged before and after springback. The theoretical formulae are validated by the experimental results or the validated simulation results in literature, which can be used to quickly predict the forming quality of tube numerical control (NC) bending.     

空间弯管的回弹预测

管材弯曲卸载后将不可避免地产生一定回弹,严重影响弯管生产的精度与效率,因此回弹成为管材弯曲的重点研究对象.对空间非平面弯管回弹进行研究,将空间回弹问题转化为两个相互垂直平面上的同弹问题,通过纯弯曲回弹实验,建立弯管平面弯曲回弹前后半径之间的函数关系式,然后将两个平面上的回弹合并,对离散化的回弹弯管进行空间拼接,进而完成...     

弯管成形理论和技术研究进展与发展趋势(英文)

As one kind of key components with enormous quantities and diversities,the bent tube parts satisfy the increasing needs for lightweight and high-strength product from both materials and structure aspec...     

Impact of bending dies with different friction forms on forming force and quality of tubes manufactured by free bending technology

In the 3D free bending forming system, the bending die can be designed either in a sliding type or rolling friction type. Bending die-based sliding friction type is often called normal bending dies; however, the bending dies-based rolling friction type includes bending die-based roller type and ball type in structure. In the current study, the impact of three bending dies on the forming force, and the bent tube quality was investigated. The obtained results showed that the tangential stresses and strains of the tubes formed by the bending die-based roller type were the smallest among the three bending dies. Besides, the spherical bearing force P_U was reduced drastically after using the roller type and ball type compared to the sliding friction type. Moreover, the uniformity of the wall thickness distribution of the tubes formed by the roller type and ball type was better than those obtained from the sliding friction type. In addition, the cross-section distortion rate was reduced by 2.8% using the roller type, and 1.8% using ball-type compared to the sliding friction type.     

Design and Optimization of Press Bend Forming Path for Producing Aircraft Integral Panels with Compound Curvatures

In order to find out the optimal press bend forming path in fabricating aircraft integral panels, this article proposes a new method on the basis of the authors' previous work. It is composed of the finite element method (FEM) equivalent model, the surface curvature analysis, the artificial neural network response surface and the genetic algorithm. The method begins with analyzing the objective's shape curvature to determine the bending position. Then it optimizes the punch travel at each bending position by the following steps: (1) Establish a multi-step press bend forming FEM equivalent model, with which the FEM experiments designed with the Taguchi method are performed. (2) Construct a back-propagation (BP) neural network response surface with the data from the FEM experiments. (3) Use the genetic algorithm to optimize the neural network response surface as the objective function. Finally, this method is verified by press bending a complicated double-curvature grid-type stiffened panel and bears out its effectiveness and intrinsic worth in designing the press bend forming path.     

Non-isothermal creep age forming of Al-Cu-Li alloy: Experiment and modelling

Non-isothermal Creep Age Forming (CAF), including loading, heating, holding, cooling and springback stages, is an advanced forming technique for manufacturing high performance large integral panels at short production period and low cost. However, the creep deformation and aging precipitation during heating stage is often neglected in experiments and modeling, leading to low forming precision. To achieve shape forming and property tailoring simultaneously, a deep understanding of the non-isothermal creep aging behavior and the establishment of predictive models are urgently required. A new five-stage creep feature of Al-Cu-Li alloy during the non-isothermal creep aging is observed. The microstructural interactions between the dislocations, solute atoms, Guinier Preston zones (GP zones) and T₁ precipitates are found to dominate the five-stage creep aging behavior. The physical-based model considering temperature evolution history is established to describe the five-stage creep feature. The springback and yield strength of non-isothermal creep age formed plates with different thicknesses are predicted and compared by non-isothermal CAF experiments and corresponding simulations. The CAF experiments show that the springback and yield strength of the non-isothermal creep age formed plate are 62.1% and 506 MPa, respectively. Simulation results are in good agreement with experimental results. The proposed model broadens the application of traditional CAF models that mainly focus on isothermal conditions.     

Finite element modelling and experimental investigation of the impact of filling different materials in copper tubes during 3D free bending process

3D free bending process, an advanced metal forming technology, has attracted much attention due to its unique geometrical flexibility and efficiency. Filling tubes with materials may effectively reduce the distortion in the cross-section area and restrain wrinkling and collapse of tube wall. In the present study, the impacts of filling different materials on the copper tubes during 3D free bending process were investigated. We have found that copper tubes filled with low melting point alloys could induce the most uniform stress distribution, which result in better formability and moderate thickness changing rates when compared to SS304 steel balls and PU rubbers. The lowest ellipticity reached to 1.467%.     

夹层板精密成形的数值模拟

为了实现基于“点阵钉模、真空负压、蜂窝夹层”的双曲度面板精密成形过程的有限元数值模拟,分析了成形 2个阶段的变形过程,建立了简化的力学模形,以一种广义协调薄板弯曲四边形位移单元为基础构造了具有公共横向位移自由度的几何非线性四边形四节点分别考虑和不考虑横向剪切的多层板单元,通过牛顿 -拉斐逊法结合载荷、位移约束量的增量法求解几何非线性方程,较好地再现了真实成形过程     

Advances and trends in plastic forming technologies for welded tubes

With the implementation of environmental protection, sustainable development and conservation-oriented policies, components and parts of thin-walled welded tubes have gained increasing application in the aircraft and automotive industries because of their advantages: easily achieving forming and manufacturing process at low cost and in a short time. The current research on welded tube plastic forming is mainly concentrated on tube internal high-pressure forming, tube bending forming, and tube spinning forming. The focuses are on the material properties and characterization of welded tubes, finite element modeling for welded tube forming, and inhomogeneous deformation behavior and the mechanism and rules of deformation coordination in welded tube plastic forming. This paper summarizes the research progress in welded tube plastic forming from these aspects. Finally, with a focus on the urgent demand of the aviation, aerospace and automotive industries for high-strength and light-weight tubes, this paper discusses the development trends and challenges in the theory and technology of welded tube plastic forming in the future. Among them,laser tailor-welded technology will find application in the manufacture of high-strength steel tubes.Tube-end forming technology, such as tube flaring and flanging technology, will expand its application in welded tubes. Therefore, future studies will focus on the FE modeling regarding how to consider effects of welding on residual stresses, welding distortions and microstructure, the inhomogeneous deformation and coordination mechanism of the plastic forming process of tailor-welded tubes, and some end-forming processes of welded tubes, and more comprehensive research on the forming mechanism and limit of welded tubes.     

Deformation behaviors of four-layered U-shaped metallic bellows in hydroforming

Because of the complex constraint effects among layers in multi-layered metallic bellows hydroforming, the stress concentration and defects such as wrinkling and fracture may easily occur. It is a key to reveal the deformation behaviors in order to obtain a sound product. Based on the ABAQUS platform, a 3D-FE model of the four-layered U-shaped metallic bellow hydroforming process is established and validated by experiment. The stress and strain distributions, wall thickness variations and bellow profiles of each layer in the whole process, including bulging, folding and springback stages, are studied. Then deformation behaviors of bellows under different forming conditions are discussed. It is found that the wall thinning degrees of different layer vary after hydroforming, and is the largest for the inner layer and smallest for the outer layer. At folding stage, the wall thinning degree of the crown point increases lineally, and the difference among layers increases as the process going. The displacements of the crown point decrease from the inner layer to the outer layer. After springback, the U-shaped cross section changes to a tongue shape, the change of convolution pitch is much larger than the change of convolution height, and the springback values of the inner layer are smaller than the outer layer. An increase in the internal pressure and die spacing cause the maximum wall thinning degree and springback increase. With changing of process parameters, bellows with deep convolution are easily encountered wall thinning during hydroforming and convolution distortion after springback. This research is helpful for precision forming of multi-layered bellows.