Hydroforming Process Optimization for Copper Pipe Manufacturing

Categories:

The hydroforming process of a copper pipe was analyzed to improve forming reliability and reduce material waste. A 3D FEA model simulated deformation under varying pressure levels, enabling optimization of internal pressure and prediction of critical wall thickness reduction. The results demonstrated that simulation-driven tuning can significantly improve process stability and production efficiency.

Details:

Technologies Used:

Ansys Discovery
LS-Dyna
Shell modelling

Objective:

Improve the success rate of a hydroforming process to increase productivity and reduce material waste.

Challenge:

Copper pipe components are formed by applying internal pressure within a mold. Excessive pressure leads to excessive wall thinning and failure, while insufficient pressure prevents achieving the required ductile shape. Due to the high cost of copper, maintaining a high process success rate is critical for cost-effective production.

Solution:

A detailed 3D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model of the hydroforming process was developed to simulate material deformation under varying pressure levels. The simulation enabled accurate pressure tuning and identification of geometric weak points prone to excessive thinning or failure—without consuming physical material. The robust capabilities of LS-DYNA were leveraged to deliver stable and reliable simulations, providing confidence in the predicted forming behavior.

Conclusion:

The presented test case successfully demonstrated the value of simulation-driven process optimization and convinced the customer of its practical benefits. The developed workflow was shown to be fully applicable using the existing material and process data available within the company, supporting future implementation in production planning.

Figure 1: Photorealism Pictures of the Project.

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