Workshop: Numerical Simulation Of Electro Hydraulic Forming Process By Using Acoustic Method In Abaqus

In this tutorial, the Numerical Simulation of the Electro-Hydraulic Forming Process using the Acoustic Method in Abaqus is verified based on a referenced ISI paper.

Electro-hydraulic forming (EHF) is a high strain rate forming technique widely used in the automotive industry. In this process, an electrical discharge within a liquid medium converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. The intense discharge creates a plasma channel, causing rapid vaporization of the water between two electrodes. This generates a high-speed shock wave that propagates through the liquid and impacts the metal sheet. As a result, the sheet is driven into the die cavity to achieve the desired shape. Because the liquid medium transmits the forming force, no mechanical punch is required. Compared with electromagnetic forming, EHF can form a wider range of metals since it is not limited by material conductivity.

In this simulation, both the water and the blank are modeled as three-dimensional parts. The metal blank is defined using an elastic–plastic material model based on the Johnson–Cook formulation, as described in the reference paper. A Dynamic Explicit analysis step is used, which is suitable for this type of high-speed forming process.

Surface-to-surface contact is defined between the die and the blank, while a tie constraint connects the blank and the water. Acoustic interaction properties are assigned to the water domain. Boundary conditions include an acoustic boundary for the water and a fixed constraint for the die.

During the simulation, key results such as maximum displacement, stress, and strain are recorded. The maximum dome displacement obtained from the simulation is verified against the published paper, showing close agreement. Figures of the assembled model and simulation results are provided below.