Multi-objective optimization of forming parameters for tube hydroforming process based on the Taguchi method

Abstract

Tube hydroforming is an attractive manufacturing technology which is now widely used in many industries, especially the automobile industry. The purpose of this study is to develop a method to analyze the effects of the forming parameters on the quality of part formability and determine the optimal combination of the forming parameters for the process. The effects of the forming parameters on the tube hydroforming process are studied by finite element analysis and the Taguchi method. The Taguchi method is applied to design an orthogonal experimental array, and the virtual experiments are analyzed by the use of the finite element method (FEM). The predicted results are then analyzed by the use of the Taguchi method from which the effect of each parameter on the hydroformed tube is given. In this work, a free bulging tube hydroforming process is employed to find the optimal forming parameters combination for the highest bulge ratio and the lowest thinning ratio. A multi-objective optimization approach is proposed by simultaneously maximizing the bulge ratio and minimizing the thinning ratio. The optimization problem is solved by using a goal attainment method. An example is given to illustrate the practicality of this approach and ease of use by the designers and process engineers.