Enhancing Tribological Conditions in Tube Hydroforming by Using Textured Tubes

The effects of textured tubes on the tribological performance in tube hydroforming (THF) are discussed. Textured surfaces, namely sand blasted, knurled, electrical discharge machined (EDM), and as rolled surfaces, were tested under various interface pressure conditions. Sand blasted textured tubes were found to have the best tribological performance. The study has demonstrated that the increase in the interface pressure between the tube and the die can result in either lower or higher interface friction depending on the surface texture conditions. The study has also shown that different surface texture treatment methods can alter the hardness of the tube surface with significant influence on the tribological performance.