| Q. |  | Is hydroforming really a technology ready for high volume Automotive production use?
| | A. | | Yes. There are numerous examples of hydroforming being used for current vehicle manufacture. These examples range from relatively low volume niche products such as frame rails for the Chevrolet Corvette to high volume global manufacturing such as the Ford Mondeo/Contour Engine Cradle or the Dodge Ram frame rails and Front End Module.
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| Q. | | What does hydroforming involve?
| | A. | | Basically the manufacturing process starts with a tube. This tube may be bent and/or locally formed before hydroforming. The hydroforming step of the overall process starts by putting the prepared tube into a die, sealing the ends and filling it with fluid. The fluid used is generally water with the addition of some specific lubricants and corrosion inhibitors. The fluid pressure is increased, using high pressure pumps, forcing the tube to expand to the walls of the die. At this stage piecing may also be carried out if required. The pressure is then released and the part removed from the die. Supplementary operations such as trimming, piercing, washing and drying are then required to deliver the finished part.
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| Q. | | What sort of cycle times are involved?
| | A. | | Hydroforming has cycle times of between 18 and 25 seconds depending on the manufacturing requirements and type of equipment being used.
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| Q. | | What sort of cycle times are involved?
| | A. | | Hydroforming has cycle times of between 18 and 25 seconds depending on the manufacturing requirements and type of equipment being used.
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| Q. | | Do design requirements for hydroforming differ from those for stamping?
| | A. | | Yes. It is a different manufacturing process which provides the designer with new opportunities but also imposes different constraints. It is important that, even at a concept level, design for manufacture is considered if the full benefits of hydroforming are to be obtained.
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| Q. | | Does hydroforming only work with circular tubes?
| | A. | | No, any tube profile may be used. For prototyping a circular tube is generally used as it is readily available, but for production manufacture some significant process savings can be achieved by using different profiles.
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| Q. | | What is the most important factor for success in developing a hydroformed component?
| | A. | | A detailed understanding of the manufacturing process. If this is not available within the design team then working closely with either the potential supplier or hydroforming experts as early as possible in the design cycle becomes indispensable. A detailed understanding of the process will enable the design for manufacture trade-offs to be understood and incorporated in the design whilst there is still design flexibility.
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