Investigating the construction of three-way connection tubes for hydraulic systems in vehicles by dynamic-impact loading in hydroforming

Background: Hydroforming is employed in the manufacture of hollow monolithic products to reduce the number of joints. This method can reduce the weight and enhance the quality of fluid transfer parts in a vehicle’s hydraulic system. Hydroforming is a process in which parts are formed into the shape of a mold using fluid pressure. An important issue in this process is adopting an optimal loading path. Methods: In the present research, a drop hammer was used to implement the dynamic loading path in the tests. Accordingly, a single energy source was used simultaneously to provide axial feeding and internal pressure. To this end, designing a mold suitable for the dynamic loading path was necessary. Results: This numerical study investigates tubes’ deformation based on the applied impact and the amount of fluid in the mold. Moreover, axial feeding was provided with the help of different punches on the sides of the tube. Hence, the kinetic energy, amount of fluid, sealing, lubrication, and the material and thickness of the tube must be proportional for the correct forming of the tube. From the smoothed-particle hydrodynamics perspective, it is a meshless method based on interpolation that uses a particle system to examine the system state and predict fields such as displacement, stress, and pressure. Conclusions: One of the main observations of this research is that selecting side punches with a smaller central hole radius is proportional to the kinetic energy and the amount of fluid. that is effective in achieving the optimal loading path.