Analysis and Evaluation of Effective Parameters in the Tube Hydro-Forming Process

This study focuses on developing an in-process control system for a tube hydroforming process, specifically for managing tool filling in the formation of a T-tube. The control challenge is significant, as wrinkling and bursting can occur rapidly and are often irreversible, necessitating a control system that responds quickly and avoids excessive overshoot. The goal is to regulate the tool filling to follow a predefined reference trajectory, with the controller input adjusting the reference forming pressure. The control system was experimentally validated under four distinct error scenarios. Initially, errors were intentionally introduced by altering the input signal, and in all three cases, the system effectively prevented both wrinkling and bursting. Additionally, control system successfully corrected the errors and stabilized the process. The control strategy and its implementation were developed using numerical simulations based on explicit finite element analysis. The controller was directly applied in the experimental setup without modifications or scaling of the gain factors.

Analysis and Evaluation of Effective Parameters in the Tube Hydro-Forming Process Keywords:

Tube hydro-forming , T-tube , Optimal control , Process robustness , Finite element.