|
Hight quality for complex components
Hydraulic and hydromechanical deep drawing as a supplement to classical sheet forming
In addition to the hydroforming process, Schuler offers active-media based sheet metal forming. The parts are either formed into a fixed die with the aid of liquid medium under pressure (hydraulic deep drawing) or by means of a fixed punch against a liquid medium under pressure (hydromechanical deep drawing). The dimensional accuracies and the surface quality of the com-ponents are significantly improved as compared to conventional deep drawing. In both the automobile industry and in the non-automotive sectors, forming involving a liquid medium under pressure is used in the manufacture of a wide variety of compo-nents. This method demonstrates its strengths wherever complex components with convex/concave geometries need to be produced in small to medium production lot sizes and requiring superior surface quality.
Hydraulic deep drawing
In hydraulic deep drawing a blank is formed into a fixed lower die by means of pressurized medium. In this process as well as in hydromechanical deep drawing, the pressure chamber is sealed by means of a stringlike polyurethane material in a groove. This forming by means of a fluid medium means that parts, spherical geometries especially, can be formed in a single manufacturing step. In addition, the blank contacts the lower die without any significant relative movement between die and workpiece whereby superior surface qualities are achieved.
The process is especially cost-effective since only one die half or contour is required. The forming of undercuts is also possible.
Hydromechanical deep drawing
In hydromechanical deep drawing the punch forms the contour and the lower die is replaced by the active fluid medium. Sealing of the area under pressure is generally performed by means of a string seal. Since in this forming process the friction between the sheet material and the drawing radius is significantly reduced, hydromechanical deep drawing can achieve much greater draw-ing depths than conventional deep drawing. The formation of wrinkles of the second order is also greatly reduced thanks to the early contact between the blank and the punch. Hydromechani-cal deep drawing is especially well suited for the manufacture of components that demonstrate large, unsupported ring areas at the beginning of the conventional drawing process, such as, for ex-ample, cone-shaped components.
Pictures:
The dimensional accuracies and the surface quality of the components are significantly improved as compared to conventional deep draw-ing.
| 
