03-07-2012, 03:04 PM
HIGH ENERGY RATE FORMING PROCESSES
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In these forming processes large amount of energy is applied for a very short interval of time. 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.
The parts are formed at a rapid rate, and thus these processes are also called high – velocity forming processes. There are several advantages of using these forming processes, like die costs are low, easy maintenance of tolerances, possibility of forming most metals, and material does not show spring-back effect. The production cost of components by such processes is low. The limitation of these processes is the need for skilled personnel.
There are three main high energy rate forming processes: explosive forming, magnetic forming, and electro hydraulic forming. We shall discuss these processes.
Explosive Forming
Explosive forming, is distinguished from conventional forming in that the punch or diaphragm is replaced by an explosive charge. The explosives used are generally high – explosive chemicals, gaseous mixtures, or propellants. There are two techniques of high – explosive forming: stand – off technique and the contact technique.
Standoff Technique . The sheet metal work piece blank is clamped over a die and the assembly is lowered into a tank filled with water. The air in the die is pumped out. The explosive charge is placed at some predetermined distance from the work piece, see Fig 9.1. On detonation of the explosive, a pressure pulse of very high intensity is produced. A 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.
Electro Magnetic Forming
The process is also called magnetic pulse forming and is mainly used for swaging type operations, such as fastening fittings on the ends of tubes and crimping terminal ends of cables. Other applications are blanking, forming, embossing, and drawing. The work coils needed for different applications vary although the same power source may be used.
To illustrate the principle of electromagnetic forming, consider a tubular work piece. This work piece is placed in or near a coil, Fig 9.3. A high charging voltage is supplied for a short time to a bank of capacitors connected in parallel. (The amount of electrical energy stored in the bank can be increased either by adding capacitors to the bank or by increasing the voltage). When the charging is complete, which takes very little time, a high voltage switch triggers the stored electrical energy through the coil. A high – intensity magnetic field is established which induces eddy currents into the conductive work piece, resulting in the establishment of another magnetic field. The forces produced by the two magnetic fields oppose each other with the consequence that there is a repelling force between the coil and the tubular work piece that causes permanent deformation of the work piece.
Applications
Electromagnetic forming process is capable of a wide variety of forming and assembly operations. It has found extensive applications in the fabrication of hollow, non – circular, or asymmetrical shapes from tubular stock. The compression applications involve swaging to produce compression, tensile, and torque joints or sealed pressure joints, and swaging to apply compression bands or shrink rings for fastening components together. Flat coils have been used on flat sheets to produce stretch (internal) and shrink (external) flanges on ring and disc – shaped work pieces.
Electromagnetic forming has also been used to perform shearing, piercing, and rivettting.
Electro Hydraulic Forming
Electro hydraulic forming (EHF), also known as electro spark forming, is a process in which electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy for the forming of metallic parts. 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. 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, Fig 9.4.