Kim, J.;Chang, Y.C.;Kang, S.J.;Kang, B.S.
534
Tubular hydroforming has attracted increased attention in the automotive industry recently. In this study, a professional finite element program for analysis and design of tube hydroforming processes, has been developed, called HydroFORM-3D, which is based on a rigid-plastic model. With the developed program HydroFORM-3D, the hydroforming process for an automobile lower arm is analyzed and designed. The manufacturing process for a lower arm consists of tube bending, preforming, and final hydroforming. To accomplish successful hydroforming process design, thorough investigation on proper combination of process parameters such as internal hydraulic pressure, axial feeding, and tool geometry is required. This paper describes the influences of forming conditions on the hydroforming of a lower arm by using simulation to predict strain and tube shape during bending, preforming, and final hydroforming processes.