Change in Material Properties and Tribology of a Material Undergoing Hydraulic Forming

With the advancements in science and technology during the Industrial Revolution, mechanical manufacturing processes also saw a revolution as new forms of processes were used to manufacture new machinery and tools to meet the demands of the rise in technology. One of the most prominent processes which came into light was forming. It is a process which is used to give shape to a material by overcoming stresses and causing a plastic deformation in the body to give a new and permanent shape. It is even used extensively today for myriad manufacturing processes. One of the most common types of the forming process is hydraulic forming, better known as hydroforming. A more detailed explanation on hydroforming and its various types along with their applications in the real world are given in this paper. The crux of the paper is devoted to the mechanical properties of the material observed once the forming process and the physical permanent deformation of the material takes place. An analysis of both microscopic and macroscopic properties is carried out. This entails major aspects of viewing material properties like stress analysis, stress - strain tests and even the surface finish and view. Even in hydraulic forming, different types of the process like vacuum forming and deep drawing and sheet hydroforming end up with a slightly different set of material properties and tribology, the particulars of which are beyond the scope of this paper. Lastly, we conclude about the advantages and disadvantages of the hydroforming process mainly in line with the properties of the material observed after the process.