Plastic wrinkling model and characteristics of shear enforced Ti-alloy thin-walled tubes under combination die constraints and differential temperature fields

Plastic wrinkling predictions and shear enforced wrinkling characteristics of Ti-alloy thin-walled tubes under combination die constraints have become key problems urgently in need of solutions in order to improve forming quality in their shear bending processes under differential temperature fields. To address this, a wrinkling wave function was developed by considering their shear bend deformation characteristics. Based on this wave function and the thin shell theory, an energy prediction model for this type of wrinkling was established. This model enables consideration of the effects of shear deformation zone ranges, material parameters, loading modes, and friction coefficients between tube and dies on the minimum wrinkling energy. Tube wrinkling sensitive zones (WSZs) can be revealed by combining this wrinkling prediction model with a thermal-mechanical coupled finite element model for simulating these bending processes. The reliability of this wrinkling prediction model was verified, and an investigation into the tube wrinkling characteristics was carried out based on the experimental conditions. This found that the WSZs are located on either a single side or both sides of the maximum shear stress zone. When the friction coefficients between the tube and the various dies coincide, the WSZs are located on both sides. The larger the value of the tube inner corner radius and/or the smaller the value of the outer corner radius, the smaller the wrinkling probability. With an increase in the value of the moving die displacement, the wrinkling probability increases at first, and then decreases.