Wrinkling control in aluminum sheet hydroforming

In this paper, the wrinkling behavior of 6111-T4 aluminum alloys during sheet hydroforming process was numerically and experimentally investigated. In sheet hydroforming, one or both surfaces of the sheet metal are supported with a pressurized viscous fluid, while a punch forms the part. In sheet hydroforming the use of a matching female die is not needed. The use of the pressurized fluid delays the onset of material rupture (International Journal of Mechanical Science 2003;45:1815–48) and also acts as an active blank-holding force to control wrinkling in the flange area. To form a wrinkle-free deep-drawn hemispherical cup with sheet hydroforming, a theoretical analysis based on the work of Lo et al. (Journal of Materials Processing Technology 1993;37:225–39) was initially used to predict the optimum fluid pressure profile. Simplifying geometrical assumptions and Tresca material model used in the theoretical analysis provided a fluid pressure profile that resulted in premature rupture of the sheet metal. However, an optimum fluid pressure profile generated by the finite element method, using Barlatʹs anisotropic yield function (Journal of Mechanical Physics and Solids 1997;45(11/12):1727–63), was successfully applied in sheet hydroforming to make the deep-drawn hemispherical cup without tearing and with minimal wrinkling in the flange area. The finite element model was also capable of accurately predicting the location of the material rupture in pure stretch, and wrinkling characteristics of the aluminum alloy sheet in the draw-in process.