When it comes to hydroforming, many people may think that it is all about making large parts and expensive parts that can be customized and specialized for applications such as automobiles, jet engines, and other parts that may be exotic. However, it would be a major mistake to ignore hydroforming when you are responsible for producing small parts. Many of the hydroforming benefits and advantages are geared towards the production of small parts and items.
Over the past few years, the industry has seen an uptick in the use of FEA (Finite Element Analysis). Of course, this is unsurprising, given the software’s versatile applications. Through running models and prototypes through FEA, industry leaders are able to save valuable time and money by troubleshooting problems, both pre and post-production.
Lauded as the most significant innovation in metal joining in the last decade, Friction Stir Welding (FSW) introduces a solid-state joining process that is environmentally friendly, versatile, and energy efficient. FSW outperforms conventional fusion welding by joining aerospace aluminum alloys, and other metallic alloys, that are high-strength. The significance of this advancement is that aerospace aluminum alloys, like 2XXX and 7XXX series, have been classified as virtually non-weldable with conventional welding processes because of porosity and microstructure solidification behavior. Resistance welding can be performed on aluminum alloys, however, surface preparation has to be performed, which is expensive and surface oxide becomes a problem.
When the right circumstances present themselves, hydroforming can be a cost-effective and reliable resource in your manufacturing process. Tube hydroforming will generally produce structural components that will be more reliable and stronger than they would be if you used one of the conventional methods.
Metal hydroforming is not anything new, but it does offer an appropriate alternative that some manufacturers may not be considering. If your organization or company does not currently own any hydroforming equipment or operate any hydroforming equipment, how do you make the decision on whether hydroforming can be the appropriate method for your upcoming sheet metal project?
