Experimental and Numerical Study of Hydrodynamic Deep Drawing Process of Rectangular Cups and Blank Shape Optimization

Production of rectangular sheet parts by traditional deep drawing methods is associated with many problems. The absence of axisymmetry and the difference between the length and width of the part makes the forming of these products difficult. In this paper, forming of rectangular cups in a single step which is not possible by traditional methods for the desired depth and corner radius, has been examined by hydrodynamic deep drawing process with radial pressure. In this research, after designing and manufacturing of die and forming of rectangular parts, the obtained results from simulation were compared and verified by those of experiments. Moreover, the effect of forming pressure on thickness distribution has been investigated. The study illustrated that increasing forming pressure up to an optimum value improves formability and thickness distribution. In addition, in order to remove flange area and to improve formability, optimization of the sheet dimensions has been performed using sensitivity analysis. It was concluded that optimizing the blank shape can improve thickness distribution, eliminate final flange trimming and decrease one stage of manufacturing, resulting in decreasing production time and cost. Finally, it was illustrated that it is possible to adequately form rectangular cups in one stage using optimized blanks.