| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 297396 | Nuclear Engineering and Design | 2011 | 5 Pages |
The hydroforming process to prepare China low activation Martensitic steel (CLAM) Y-shapes with desired protrusion height and uniform thinning rate was studied in this work. The axial feed distances for Y-shapes of the different protrusion angles were determined. Then, the effects of the loading path and the friction coefficient on the protrusion height and the distribution of thinning rate of the 45° Y-shapes were investigated by numerical simulation, respectively. The optimized parameters were obtained: left axial feed 79 mm, right axial feed 60 mm and friction coefficient 0.07. In addition, the optimal loading path with the maximum rise rate of the internal pressure was determined. Subsequently, CLAM Y-shapes were hydroformed successfully based on the simulation results. The experimental results were approximately accordant with the simulative ones. It was indicated that the qualified CLAM Y-shapes could be obtained by the optimized hydroforming process.
► We hydroformed CLAM Y-shapes successfully after optimizing important parameters. ► The feed of left punch decreased with the increasing protrusion angle. ► The axial feed of the right punch increased with increasing the angle. ► To obtain the highest protrusion, loading path 3 was the optimum. ► The friction coefficient value of 0.07 is relatively superior.
