Hydroforming Behavior and Structural Integrity of Thin Walled Stainless Steel Tubes

Abstract

Hydroforming is an advanced manufacturing technique widely used for producing complex, lightweight, and high-strength tubular components, particularly in the automotive and aerospace industries. Thin-walled stainless steel tubes are commonly employed in these applications due to their excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical performance. This study investigates the hydroforming behavior and structural integrity of thin-walled AISI 304 stainless steel tubes with varying diameters. A combination of experimental hydroforming trials and finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to assess formability, wall thickness distribution, stress-strain responses, and failure modes. The results indicate that tube diameter and wall thickness significantly influence deformation behavior, with smaller diameter tubes exhibiting higher strain localization and a greater tendency for thinning at corners. Hydroformed specimens were subjected to mechanical testing to evaluate residual strength and integrity, while microstructural analyses were conducted to examine grain orientation, strain hardening, and localized deformation. Findings from this study provide insights into optimizing hydroforming parameters and tube geometry to achieve enhanced structural performance, ensuring lightweight yet robust components for industrial applications.