When you think about hydroforming, you will probably only think about the automotive industry. However, deep draw hydroforming will continue to be a dependable and authentic manufacturing process. Those who are using hydroformed parts, regardless of the industry they are in and how they are using it, will find that it can bring a variety of advantages and benefits to any situation.
If you drive through a subdivision, you will see a satellite antenna on almost every house. Businesses might have the same antennas, or sometimes even larger ones. These are made possible through sheet hydroforming.
First developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s, tube hydroforming is the process by which pressurized fluid, either hydraulic fluid or water, is used to expand and shape metal tubes into the contours of a die. Since there are no welded seams, tubular hydroforming can be used to fabricate structural parts that are lighter, more rigid, and stronger than stamped sheet metal.
Are you using hydroformed products? Many of the items used by people every day are created through a process called deep draw hydroforming. Next time you are at these places or with individuals who use these items, look closely at them and see if you can see why hydroforming was the best way to create them.
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new welding process that was invented at The Welding Institute in Cambridge, UK in 1991. FSW is a solid-state joining process that uses frictional heat combined with accurately directed forging pressure to produce high integrity welded joints for extruded or wrought aluminum. The process can also be used to join copper, titanium, and certain alloys. This automated frictional welding process is more robust than other joining processes and is a good fit for industries that must employ high-volume production, such as the automotive industry.
While it may still be seen as one of the newer methods in the industry, especially when compared to the conventional or traditional stamping processes, tube hydroforming continues to have a large impact in the automotive industry and a host of other industries. Why is tube hydroforming having such a great impact in these industries? Why is tube hydroforming a popular choice over the older techniques?
Hydroforming is the process that involves shaping various metal parts into pieces that are sturdy and light in weight. While this is a very quick and affordable process, it is also very efficient and effective. We know that when you produce parts of any size, you will have a variety of requirements that you will need to meet. One of those requirements that you will need to be met is tight tolerance.
Hydroforming is the process of using pressure on sheets of metal to create shapes, many that are used in building automobiles. For example, if you look at the metal cradle holding the engine in an automobile, you are looking at something formed through tube hydroforming. If you look at the side of your automobile, it was probably formed through hydroforming used on a sheet of metal. While called by different names, there are two types of sheet hydroforming: Active and passive.
The hydroforming method has been around for more than six decades, but there have been many advancements and innovations that have changed the way each industry thinks about their profits, manufacturing strategies, design, etc. For many years now, die casting has been the preferred metal forming option for a variety of industries, including the following:
When you are thinking about the multiple options that are available for working with any type of metal, many companies in the industry have chosen to use a process known as hydroforming. The manufacturing process was developed in the late 1940s and the early 1950s, and it continues to be an ideal option for adding shapes to a variety of ductile metals.
