Controlling Wrinkling and Flatness during the Processing of the Bend Section of a Pipe by Applying Vibration to the Mandrel

Abstract

Metal pipes have a long history as fluid conduits, and are commonly joined with components such as elbows to form bent transport paths. However, with the increasing demands for economy and energy saving, pipes with reduced joints and thinner walls are desired. The number of joints can be reduced by a drawing and bending process that forms a bend section at any position in the pipe. However, this approach incurs problems such as wrinkling and flattening, especially under conditions of large bending angle, decreased bending radius, and thin pipe walls. In this research, applying vibrations to the mandrel was trialed as an approach for controlling the wrinkle depth and flattening. First, processing experiments were performed on thin walled pipes (wall thickness = 0.5 mm; outer diameter = 14 mm). The change of flattening and the number and depths of wrinkles were investigated in the presence and absence of vibrations. Next, simulations were performed using the commercial nonlinear finite element software. Through these simulations, the flatness and appearance of wrinkles were analyzed by modeling the behavior and distribution of stresses and strains in the processing process. The application of vibration to the mandrel appears to be a promising approach for controlling the wrinkling and flattening problems during pipe processing.