MIN572: Advanced Manufacturing Processes

Advanced Forming processes

Dr. Shamik Basak

Assistant Professor

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India
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High Energy Rate Forming
Processes

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 High Energy Rate Forming Processes
The application of large amounts of energy in a very short time interval for
deforming the material. These processes are known as high energy rate
forming (HERF) processes.

Many metals tend to deform more readily under extra – fast application of
load which make these processes useful to form large size parts out of
most metals including those which are otherwise difficult – to – form

Parts are formed at a rapid rate, and thus these processes are also called
high – velocity forming processes.

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 High Energy Rate Forming Processes
The forming processes are affected by the rates of strain used.

Effects of strain rates during forming:

1. The flow stress increases with strain rates
2. The temperature of work is increases due to adiabatic heating.
3. Improved lubrication if lubricating film is maintained.
4. Many difficult to form materials like Titanium and Tungsten alloys, can be deformed
under high strain rates.

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 Advantages
• Production rates are higher, as parts are made at a rapid rate.

• Capable of production of complex geometries.

• Suitable for job-shop, batch as well as mass production.

• Close tolerances can be maintained.

• Can be used for the processing of difficult to cut materials.

• Negligible spring back effect.

• Economically justifiable.

• Single step procedure is followed thus it eliminates any secondary steps t be

followed.

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 Limitations

• Highly skilled personnel are required from design to execution.

• Transient stresses of high magnitude are applied on the work.

• Not suitable to highly brittle materials.

• Source of energy (chemical explosive or electrical) must be handled carefully.

• Dies need to be much bigger to withstand high energy rates and shocks and to
prevent cracking.

• Controlling the application of energy is critical as it may crack the die or work.

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 High Energy Rate Forming Processes
There are three main high energy rate forming processes:

• Explosive forming
• Electro magnetic forming
• Electro hydraulic forming

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Explosive forming

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 Explosive forming
• Explosive forming, is distinguished from conventional forming in that
the punch or diaphragm is replaced by an explosive charge.
• Explosives used are generally high – explosive chemicals, gaseous
mixtures, or propellants.
A punch in conventional forming is replaced by an explosive charge.
Explosives used can be:
• High energy chemicals like TNT, RDX, and Dynamite.
• Gaseous mixtures
• Propellants.

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 Explosive forming

• Propellants and explosives are characterized by the following parameters:

• Heat of explosion: The amount of energy chemically bound in 1kg of an explosive,

• Detonation velocity: The velocity of the chemical reaction,

• Relative Effective Energy (REE): The coefficient of energetic efficiency of an explosive as

compared to the standard Nitroglykol efficiency.

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 Explosive forming
• The carrying medium is most often water or sand.
• There is a significant difference between the energy released by the explosive and the
energy required for the material deformation.
• There occurs a significant differences in terms of energy conversion from chemical to
pressure waves and the loss occurring in the transfer of energy to the environment.
• Loses describe efficiency of the process:

are overall, chemical, transfer and deformation efficiency of the process.

• The overall efficiency of explosive forming is around 10%.
• The equipment cost includes only the cost of die.
• This process can be used for forming materials with low formability.
• Extremely suitable for single part production.

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 Explosive forming

Factors affecting HERF process

• Size of work piece,
• Geometry of deformation,
• Behavior of work material under high strain rates,
• Energy source,
• Cost of die,
• Cycle time,
• Overall capital investment,
• Safety considerations.

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 Explosive forming
Types of explosive forming:

1) Unconfined type or Stand off technique

2) Confined type or Contact technique

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 Stand off technique: Sequence
• It involves placing an explosive at a suitable distance from the work piece held on the die.
• The die is evacuated to create vacuum on the underside of the work piece.
• The conversion of chemical energy on detonation leads to generation of pressure waves
which are transferred through the water medium.
• The formation of gas bubble on detonation of the explosive expands spherically and then
collapses.
• The so generated pressure pulse impinges against the work
• Generation of high velocity i.e. 430km/h waves are generated.

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 Stand off technique: Sequence

Step 1: explosive charge is Step 2: Pressure pulse and gas bubble are
set in position formed as detonation of charge occurs

Step 3: Work piece is deformed Step 4: Gas bubbles vents at the surface of water

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 Stand off technique
Working procedure:
• Sheet metal work piece blank is clamped over a die and the assembly is lowered into
a tank filled with water.
• Air in the die is pumped out.
• Explosive charge is placed at some predetermined distance from the work piece.
• On detonation of the explosive, a pressure pulse of very high intensity is produced.
• Gas bubble is also produced which expands spherically and then collapses.
• When the pressure pulse impinges against the work piece, the metal is deformed into
the die with as high velocity as 120 m/s.

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 Stand off technique

Role of water:

• Muffles the sound of explosion

• Acts as energy transfer medium
• Ensures uniform transmission of energy
• Cushioning/ smooth application of energy on the work without direct contact

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 Stand off technique

Process Variables:

• Work size
• Work material properties
• Vacuum in the die
• Type and amount of explosive: wide range of explosive are available.
• Stand off distance – SOD- (Distance between work piece and explosive):
Optimum SOD must be maintained.
• The medium used to transmit energy: water is most widely used.

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 Stand off technique

Advantages:
• Less noise
• Less probability of damage to work.
• Economical, when compared to a hydraulic press
• Large and thick parts can be easily formed
• Shock wave is efficiently transmitted through water and energy is transmitted
effectively on the work

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 Stand off technique
Limitations:
• Not suitable for small and thin works.
• Vacuum is essential and hence it adds to the cost.
• Dies must be larger and thicker to withstand shocks.
• Optimum SOD is essential for proper forming operation.
• Explosives must be carefully handled according to the regulations of the
government.

Applications:
• Ship building,
• Radar dish,
• Elliptical domes in space applications

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 Contact technique
Principle Cartridge

• The pressure pulse or shock wave

produced is in direct contact with the
work piece (usually tubular) and hence
the energy is directly applied on the
work without any water medium.
Die

• The tube collapses into the die cavity

and is formed. It is used for bulging Work piece
and flaring operations.
Enclosure

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 Contact technique
Principle:
• Explosive charge in the form of
cartridge is held in direct contact with
the work piece while the detonation is
initiated.
• Detonation builds up extremely high
pressures (up to 30,000MPa) on the
surface of the work piece resulting in
metal deformation, and possible
fracture.
• Process is used often for bulging tubes

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Advantages

 There is no loss of energy.

Disadvantages

 Has limited applications in thick pipes.

 More chances of die failure.

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Electro hydraulic forming (EHF)

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 Electro hydraulic forming (EHF)
Principle
• A sudden electrical discharge in the form of sparks is produced between electrodes
and this discharge produces a shock wave in the water medium. This shock wave
deforms the work plate and collapses it into the die.
• The characteristics of this process are similar to those of explosive forming. The
major difference, however, is that a chemical explosive is replaced by a capacitor
bank, which stores the electrical energy.

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 Electro hydraulic forming
Principle
• The capacitor is charged through a charging circuit. When the switch is closed, a
spark is produced between electrodes and a shock wave or pressure pulse is
created. The energy released is much lesser than that released in explosive forming.
• A bank of capacitors is first charged to a high voltage and then discharged across a
gap between two electrodes, causing explosions inside the hollow work piece, which
is filled with some suitable medium, generally water.

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 Electro hydraulic forming
Principle
• These explosions produce shock waves that travel radially in all directions at high
velocity until they meet some obstruction.
• If the discharge energy is sufficiently high, the hollow work piece is deformed.
• The deformation can be controlled by applying external restraints in the form of die or
by varying the amount of energy released.

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 Electro hydraulic forming
Process Characteristics:
• Stand off distance: It must be optimum.
• Transfer medium: Usually water is used.
• Capacitor used: The energy of the pressure pulse depends on the size of capacitor.
• Vacuum: the die cavity must be evacuated to prevent adiabatic heating of the work
due to a sudden compression of air.
• Material properties with regard to the application of high rates of strain.

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 Electro hydraulic forming
Advantages:
• Safer in handling than the explosive materials.
• More suitable if the work size is small to medium.
• Thin plates can be formed with smaller amounts of energy
• The process does not depend on the electrical properties of the work material.
• Better control of the pressure pulse as source of energy is electrical- which can be
easily controlled.

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 Electro hydraulic forming
Limitations:
• Suitable only for smaller works
• Proper SOD is necessary for effective process.
• Need for vacuum makes the equipment more complicated.

Applications:
• They include smaller radar dish, cone and other shapes in thinner and small works.

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 Electro hydraulic forming
Accuracy of parts produced
• Accuracy of electro hydraulically formed parts depends on the control of both the magnitude and
location of energy discharges and on the dimensional accuracy of the dies used.
• External dimensions on tubular parts are possible to achieve within ± 0.05 mm with the current
state of technology.

Materials formed
• Materials having low ductility or having critical impact velocity less than 30 m/s are generally not
considered to be good candidate for EHF.
• All materials that can be formed by conventional forming processes can be formed by EHF also.
• These materials are aluminum alloys, nickel alloys, stainless steels, titanium, and Inconel 718.

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Electro magnetic forming (EMF)

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 Electro magnetic forming (EMF)
Principle
The electrical energy stored in a capacitor bank is used to produce opposing magnetic
fields around a tubular work piece, surrounded by current carrying coils. The coil is firmly
held and hence the work piece collapses into the die cavity due to magnetic repelling
force, thus assuming die shape.

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 Electro magnetic forming (EMF)
Process details/ Steps:
• The electrical energy is stored in the capacitor bank
• The tubular work piece is mounted on a mandrel having the die cavity to produce
shape on the tube.
• A primary coil is placed around the tube and mandrel assembly.
• When the switch is closed, the energy is discharged through the coil

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 Electro magnetic forming
Process details/ Steps:
• The coil produces a varying magnetic field around it.
• In the tube a secondary current is induced, which creates its own magnetic field in
the opposite direction.
• The directions of these two magnetic fields oppose one another and hence the rigidly
held coil repels the work into the die cavity.
• The work tube collapses into the die, assuming its shape.

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 Electro magnetic forming
Process parameters:
• Work piece size
• Insulation on the coil.
• Rigidity of the coil.
• Size of the capacitor bank
• Electrical conductivity of the work material. = (
).
• The strength of the current, which decides the strength of the magnetic field and the
force applied.

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This coil is similar in geometry to an expansion coil.
However, during the forming operation, the coil is
placed surrounding the tube to be compressed.

For an expansion operation, the coil is placed inside

the tube to be expanded.

A flat coil which consists of a metal strip wound

spirally in a plane. These coils are used in
conjunction with a die to form, emboss, blank, or
dimple the work piece.

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 Deformations in electromagnetic forming
Deformations (EMF)

Compression Expansion
• Compression:
Results in reduction of the diameter of the pipe.
The work piece is placed inside the forming coil.

• Expansion:
Results in increase of the diameter of the pipe i.e. bulging.
The work piece is placed outside the forming coil.

• Either compression, or expansion, and even a combination of both to attain final shapes
can be obtained, with a typical electromagnetic forming system.

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 Electro magnetic forming
Advantages:
• Suitable for small tubes
• The process is safer compared to explosive forming.
• Wide range of applications.
• Operations like collapsing, bending and crimping can be easily done.
• Electrical energy applied can be precisely controlled and hence the process is
accurately controlled.

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 Electro magnetic forming
Limitations:
• Not suitable for large work pieces.
• Rigid clamping of primary coil is critical.
• Applicable only for electrically conducting materials.
• Shorter life of the coil due to large forces acting on it.

Applications:
• Bulging of thin tubes.
• Crimping of coils, tubes, wires
• Bending of tubes into complex shapes

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 HERF
Factors to be considered while selecting an HERF process:
• Size of work piece
• Geometry of deformation
• Behavior of work material under high strain rates
• Energy requirements/ source
• Cost of tooling / die
• Cycle time
• Overall capital investment
• Safety considerations.

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Roll Forming

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 Roll forming

• A continuous metal forming process taking sheet, strip or coil stock and bending or forming it to a
continuous cross section.
• The process is performed between successive pairs of rolls that increasingly shape it until the
desired section is completed.

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 Roll forming

• The roll forming process allows operations such as punching, notching, and welding to be
performed in-line.
• Labor cost and time for secondary operations are reduced or eliminated, reducing part costs.
• Roll form tooling allows for a high degree of flexibility.
• A single set of roll form tools will make almost any length of the same cross-section. Multiple sets of
tools for varying length parts are not required.
• Roll forming can provide better dimensional control than other competing metal forming processes.
• Repeatability is inherent in the process, allowing easier assembly of roll formed parts into your
finished product, and minimizing problems due to “standard” tolerance build up.

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 Roll forming

• The roll pass sequence are classified into three categories:

• Breakdown pass: Used for reducing the cross-sectional area of the sheet to the desired value.
• Rough pass: The shape of the sheet is brought close to the actual product shape with a reduction in
the cross-sectional area.
• Finishing pass: Provides the exact shape to the rolled part.

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Thank you!

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