INFLUENCE OF LUBRICANTS ON ADVANCED HIGH STRENGTH STEEL TUBES IN BENDING PROCESS

To reach safety, emissions, and cost objectives, manufacturers of automotive body structural components shape thin gauge, high strength steel tube using a series of manufacturing steps that often include bending, preforming and hydroforming. Challenging grades and bend severity require a sensitive optimization of the tubular bending process. Lubricants play a significant role in establishing a successful bending process. In this study, the performance of two lubricants, Hydrodraw 551 and HFO 20, were investigated for bending Dual Phase 780 (DP780) and High Strength Low Alloy 350 (HSLA350) thin-walled steel tubes. Formability success was evaluated in terms of wrinkling, thinning strain and final geometry. Lubricant performance was found to be sensitive to grade and application site. HFO 20 was found to be a poor choice for bending DP780 tube.