Investigation of tube free bending forming process based-parallel mechanism to manufacture 304 stainless steel spiral tubes

Abstract

Free bending forming (FBF) technology provides a significant advantage by allowing the integral fabrication of convoluted tubes in a single operation. This process effectively overcomes the difficulties of forming complex metallic tubes with conventional bending techniques, which usually involve burdensome procedures and high die costs. In this study, FBF process-based parallel mechanism is investigated using a reverse analytical method and the motion simulation of the mechanism for determining the process parameters. Based on the simulation results, the process parameters were further optimized to eliminate the adverse effects caused by the concomitant motion of the bending process. The obtained process parameters were used to accomplish experimental trials and successfully manufacture 304 stainless steel spiral tubes with remarkable accuracy using FBF equipment controlled by a parallel mechanism.