Numerical study on forming complex fitting body on end of integrated stainless steel pipe without welds

Abstract

It is necessary to use the integrated stainless steel pipe having two fitting bodies without welds while train travelling at high speed. In order to form this type of integrated stainless steel pipe, the method of preforming combined finish forming process is developed. The preforming process is characterized by flaring combined upsetting for left fitting body which is like a flange, and is characterized by tube axial compressive process under die constraint for right fitting body which is like a double-wall pipe. The finite element simulations of the processes are carried out by software package DEFORM, and the results indicate that: 1) left or right fitting body can be formed by a two-step forming process without folding and under-filling defects; 2) by using two-step forming, strain and stress in left fitting body are larger than those in right fitting body, and deformation in right fitting body is more homogenous than the deformation in left fitting body; 3) two or more preforming steps may be needed for left fitting body considering the distributions of strain and stress.