Experimental characterization of sheet metal deformation during electro-hydraulic forming

A novel experimental technique, that combines high-speed imaging and digital image correlation techniques, has been developed and applied to investigate the high-rate deformation behavior of aluminum sheet during electro-hydraulic forming (EHF). Aluminum alloy AA5182-O sheets (1 mm thick and ∼152 mm diameter) were EHF deformed by high-energy (up to ∼21 kJ) pressure-pulse and the time-evolution of sheet-displacement, velocity, strain and strain-rate quantified. The data shows that different locations on the sheet undergo unique deformation history that is not apparent from the conventional post-mortem strain measurement (using etched circle/grid pattern) approach. Under the experimental conditions used in this work, the sheets were formed into domes and the maximum strain-rate observed was ∼664/s. Further, this maximum strain-rate was observed at an off-apex location and was ∼2.5 times greater than the maximum strain-rate at the dome apex. The maximum velocity observed was ∼100 m/s and the velocity–time data showed evidence of pressure-wave reverberations during the forming process. We believe that knowledge of such time-evolution of sheet deformation is necessary for a better understanding and accurate modeling of sheet formability that has often been reported to exceed quasi-static forming limits under high-rate forming conditions.