Accuracy analysis of complex curvature parts based on the rigid-flexible hydroforming

Abstract

The complex curvature parts are studied on by the rigid-flexible hydroforming, aimed at the accuracy analysis. In this paper, the cylindrical die with convex sphere and sharp fillet at the bottom, and with small size concave characteristic at the peak of the convex sphere, was designed to analyze the effect of bulging height and hydraulic pressure on the part accuracy, including large characteristic forming and small characteristic filling. The part-mold contact gap and springback distributions were discussed by experimental and numerical method to analyze the part accuracy. The results show that free bulging height and hydraulic pressure are the main factors that affect the part accuracy, and when the hydraulic pressure is constant, the springback of the large characteristic reduces with the increase of the free bulging height; when the free bulging height is constant, higher hydraulic pressure is better for the local small characteristic filling, and the part attach the mold better from the rear position where it contacts with the mold to the first position where it contacted with the mold.