Optimal design of tube hydroforming processes: a fuzzy-logic-based approach

In recent years, tube hydroforming has become an economic and industrially suitable alternative to various traditional stamping processes, in particular for small batch production. In the present paper, an artificial intelligence system based on fuzzy logic was implemented for tube hydroforming process design. The aim was to achieve a process design procedure able to prevent forming defects and guarantee the achievement of the desired final shape of the component. In particular, the process design concerns the internal pressure history and the axial feeding. The fuzzy system is able to provide optimal trajectories for both the controlled parameters, producing a defect-free final part.