Feasibility Investigation of Hydroforming of Dental Drill Body by FEM Simulation

Applying numerical methods in the analysis of forming processes, results in the prediction of the process parameters without performing costly and time-consuming laboratory test procedures. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of manufacturing a dental drill body using a hydroforming process. Due to the hygienic issues, the selected material for this part is stainless steel grade 304. The main reason for applying stainless steel in the main body is its hygienic characteristics such as antibacterial surface and washability which makes it appropriate for use in many medical instruments. The hydroforming process is simulated in ABAQUS software and the required parameters of the initial material are obtained from engineering tables. The thickness of the initial part is 0.5 mm and after simulation, it is decreased to 0.38mm. The maximum Von Misses stress of the part reached in this simulation is 708 MPa and the maximum strain rate is 1.233 mm/mm.