Experimental and numerical analyses of formability improvement of AA5182-O sheet during electro-hydraulic forming

The formability of electro-hydraulically formed AA5182-O aluminium sheet was investigated by means of experimental testing and numerical modelling. The experimental results were compared with quasi-static, as-received forming limit curve (FLC) and were used to calibrate a finite element model of EHF. It is found that the formability improvement of AA5182-O sheets was insignificant when electro-hydraulically formed without a die. However, when specimens were electro-hydraulically formed with sufficient energy into 34 or 40° conical dies, the effective strain measured in safe grids increased by 40 and 70% respectively when compared with a conservative quasi-static FLC. Finite element simulation results suggested that a combination of different mechanical parameters contributed to the formability improvement. The increased strain rate in areas close to the apex of the speimen, the negative stress triaxiality just before specimens contact the die, and significant compressive through-thickness stress generated by high-velocity impact all contributed to the improvement of formability in electro-hydraulic die forming.