Title: Optimisation for the loading paths of T-part by hydroforming

Authors: Yong Zhang, Lijuan Ge, Haijun Li, Lijun Gao

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Huhhot 010018, PR China. ' Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Huhhot 010018, PR China. ' Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Huhhot 010018, PR China. ' Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Huhhot 010018, PR China

Abstract: The loading paths in Tube Hydroforming (THF) have critical effects on the final part quality. In this paper, a novel method of optimisation for the loading paths is developed for T-part. On the basis of the theoretical analysis proposed in the previous research, a Genetic Algorithm (GA) combined with FE codes is employed to search the optimal stress ratios. According to the optimal stress ratios, the optimal internal pressure and axial feed are obtained by using the engineering computation expressions deduced. The results show that the simulation results have good agreements with the experiment results. The optimal loading paths have successfully been applied for producing tee coupling.

Keywords: T-part; tube hydroforming; optimal loading paths; GAs; genetic algorithms; FEM; finite element method; optimisation; component quality; stress ratios; internal pressure; axial feed; simulation; tee coupling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.2010.032202

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 2010 Vol.37 No.2, pp.132 - 137

Published online: 16 Mar 2010 *

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