Publication

Abstract : This study investigates the cavity die sheet hydroforming (CDSHF) of AA5052-H32 aluminum alloy using a combined numerical and experimental approach. A 3D finite element (FE) model was developed using C3D8R elements and an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) formulation to minimize mesh distortion and accurately predict deformation behavior, including stress distribution and plastic strain localization. The model showed good agreement with experimental results. Experiments were conducted with an internal pressure (IP) of 16 MPa (linearly applied), a blank holding force (BHF) of 200 kN, and a flange radius (FR) of 7 mm. These conditions produced a part depth of 35 mm with thinning around 5.3% at corners. The current CDSHF model showed good agreement with experimental results, with less than 4% deviation between experimental and simulation results. The analysis revealed high hydrostatic stress along the cup walls, promoting improved material flow and reducing failure. Multi-objective optimization was carried out to minimize thinning and corner radius, considering input parameters IP, BHF, FR, and coefficient of friction (CoF). The optimized parameters showed less than 2% deviation from finite element predictions.