Grant: Automotive Partnership Canada Project
University of Windsor
$103,538.00
Development of a hybrid electrohydraulic - hydromechanical drawing process for production of lightweight automotive parts
EF 2011-12
Résumé
The use of high strength steels and lower density materials (aluminum, magnesium) in automotive body and chassis
structures is an excellent way to reduce vehicle weight. However, higher strength and/or lower density materials are
inevitably accompanied by a decrease in formability: this leads to increased manufacturing compiexity (cost) and a
decrease in product design flexibility.
One of the most promising forming processes is electrohydraulic forming (EHF), which consists of discharging a high
voltage current between two electrodes submerged in a fiuid, and using the pressure wave in the fiuid to form a sheet
metal blank against a die at very high strain rates. Ford Research & Advanced Engineering has been developing the
technology for EHF for a number of years and recently obtained several patents to protect the tool design. However, at
the present time there is limited understanding as to why the formability of common automotive sheet materials
increases so dramatically during this process.
Amino North America Corporation - a Tier 1 supplier to Ford is also the world-leader in sheet hydroforming of lightweight
panels. Some preliminary collaboration between Ford and Amino has brought to light the possibility of combining both
EHF and Amino's state-of-the-art hydromechanical drawing technology into a hybrid forming process. Therefore, Ford
and Amino have invited several organizations to collaborate in order to (a) develop a better understanding of the
mechanics and materials science of EHF, (b) to develop numerical models to accurately simulate the EHF process, (c)
to conduct a series of laboratory- and industrial-scale prototype trials to determine the most effective process
parameters for this hybrid process and (d) to determine part and tool design guidelines that will fully take advantage of
the increase in formability that this hybrid process offers.
Ultimately, this three-year project aims at preparing EHF technology for medium- to large-scale production of automotive
parts in Canada.
Programme
Automotive Partnership Canada Project
Bénéficiaire
Emplacement
Ontario, Canada
Type de bénéficiaire
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
Tel que publié
Application id
418056-2011
Name nom
Green, Daniel
Department département
Mechanical, Automotive and Materials Engineering
Organization id
37
Institution établissement
University of Windsor
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2011
Competition year année de concours
2011
Award amount
103538
Program id
APCPJ
Program nane en
Automotive Partnership Canada Project
Program name fr
Partenariat automobile du Canada
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
141
Committee name en
University/Industry
Committee name fr
Universités/industrie
Area of application code
510
Area of application group en
Manufacturing processes and products
Area of application group fr
Procédés et produits industriels
Area of application en
Fabricated metal products
Area of application fr
Produits métalliques usinés
Research subject code
2101
Research subject group en
Mechanical engineering
Research subject group fr
Génie mécanique
Research subject en
Solid mechanics
Research subject fr
Mécanique des solides
Partie
1
Nb partie
3
Application title
Development of a hybrid electrohydraulic - hydromechanical drawing process for production of lightweight automotive parts
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
The use of high strength steels and lower density materials (aluminum, magnesium) in automotive body and chassis
structures is an excellent way to reduce vehicle weight. However, higher strength and/or lower density materials are
inevitably accompanied by a decrease in formability: this leads to increased manufacturing compiexity (cost) and a
decrease in product design flexibility.
One of the most promising forming processes is electrohydraulic forming (EHF), which consists of discharging a high
voltage current between two electrodes submerged in a fiuid, and using the pressure wave in the fiuid to form a sheet
metal blank against a die at very high strain rates. Ford Research & Advanced Engineering has been developing the
technology for EHF for a number of years and recently obtained several patents to protect the tool design. However, at
the present time there is limited understanding as to why the formability of common automotive sheet materials
increases so dramatically during this process.
Amino North America Corporation - a Tier 1 supplier to Ford is also the world-leader in sheet hydroforming of lightweight
panels. Some preliminary collaboration between Ford and Amino has brought to light the possibility of combining both
EHF and Amino's state-of-the-art hydromechanical drawing technology into a hybrid forming process. Therefore, Ford
and Amino have invited several organizations to collaborate in order to (a) develop a better understanding of the
mechanics and materials science of EHF, (b) to develop numerical models to accurately simulate the EHF process, (c)
to conduct a series of laboratory- and industrial-scale prototype trials to determine the most effective process
parameters for this hybrid process and (d) to determine part and tool design guidelines that will fully take advantage of
the increase in formability that this hybrid process offers.
Ultimately, this three-year project aims at preparing EHF technology for medium- to large-scale production of automotive
parts in Canada.
