Hydroform usa covid 19 actions response.
Hydroforming sheet metal diy.
The best bits i ve done have been with 1 2mm stainless sheet i just tried it thinking it would kink and maybe not even form at all but but i find it gets closer to the finished item on the first pass than mild steel.
For more than 40 years hydroform usa has led the way in all sheet metal applications by employing lean practices to manage large build packages including stretch forming brake and roll forming hydro forming cnc machining and chem paint.
The kicker with this build is that there is no fluid at least not until the 40 000 pound hydraulic press semi liquifies the thick neoprene rubber pad placed over the sheet metal blank and die.
It is the preferred technique for shaping intricate components from ductile metals.
Many automotive parts are created in this fashion.
Hydroforming works by evenly distributing pressure via water conveniently in compressible against sheet metal inside of a mold.
4 works on stainless steel to.
Another at home method for diy hydroforming involves welding sheet metal together in the desired shape adding a pipe fitting to the piece and using a pressure washer to it to create hydroformed metal parts.
The mold created via welding sheet metal together can create some interesting diy hydroforming pieces as an end result.
As the upper tool descends it forces the tubular blank into the cavity with the water acting as a liquid mandrel which prevents the tube from collapsing.
The hydroforming process fills the tube with water.