Experimental and numerical study of stamp hydroforming of sheet metals

The objectives of this research was to experimentally and numerically study the stamp hydroforming process as a means for shaping aluminum alloy sheets. In stamp hydroforming, one or both surfaces of the sheet metal are supported with a pressurized viscous fluid to assist with the stamping of the part thereby eliminating the need for a female die. The pressurized fluid serves several purposes: (1) supports the sheet metal from the start to the end of the forming process, thus yielding a better formed part, (2) delays the onset of material failure and (3) reduces wrinkle formation. This paper focuses on the experimental and numerical results of the stamp hydroforming process utilizing a fluid pressure applied to one surface of the sheet metal. The effects of applying a constant, varying and localized pressure to the surface of 3003-H14-aluminum sheet alloy were evaluated. Experiments demonstrated draw depths improvements up to 31% before the material failed. A failure prediction analysis by Hsu was also carried out to predict an optimal fluid pressure path for the varying fluid pressure case. The commercial finite element analysis code Ls-Dyna3D was used to numerically simulate the stamp hydroforming process. Both isotropic and anisotropic material models were used and their predictions compared against the experimental results. The numerical simulations utilizing Barlatʹs anisotropic yield function accurately predicted the location of the material failure and the wrinkling characteristics of the aluminum sheet.