Elimination of fold defects in the radial extrusion of tubular components using an elastic support ring

The production of tubular flanged parts by traditional radial extrusion is limited to components having a low ratio of the flange thickness to the wall thickness of the tube. In this study, the concept of a one-step technique is introduced using an elastic ring which is placed outside around the specimen to overcome the formability limits. The elastic ring with suitable Young's modulus is used as a spring restraint to retard the workpiece material from flowing outwards and on the contrary to increase the material flowing inwards, which improves the geometrical shape and results in avoidance of residual fold defects. A finite element based methodology is utilized to investigate the effects of various ratios of Young's modulus of the elastic ring to that of the specimen on the deformation characteristics. It is shown that the addition of an elastic ring can facilitate the radial extrusion process more efficiently and effectively in the production of tubular flanged parts.