The Analysis of Microhardness Variations of Hydroformed P265TR1 Steel Axisymmetric Elements from Tubes

The paper discusses the effect of upsetting ratio on distribution of the microhardness in longitudinal sections of hydroformed axisymmetric elements made from P265TR1 steel. The experimental research of hydroforming was carried out at a special stand which included a press with tooling and a hydraulic feeding system of oil. The measurements of microhardness were taken with a MATSUZAWA MMT-X3 Vickers hardness tester at a load of 100 g. The samples used in the tests were prepared from tube segments with a thin-wall ratio of 0.045. In the experiment, steel components were formed at upsetting coefficients of 0.07 and 0.09. For an established course of pressure and upsetting force, a series of steel components with exact representation of the die-cavity was formed. The paper provides a comparison of the microhardness distributions in three zones of longitudinal sections of axisymmetric elements at different degrees of material deformation. The greatest values of microhardness occurred in the area of cap for components at an upsetting coefficient 0.09.