Investigation of the reshaping process by hydroforming using magnetorheological fluids

The reshaping of End-of-Life (EoL) components is considered a promising approach to put in practice one of the virtuous strategies of the Circular Economy. The heterogeneity in a EoL part, the alternation of deformed/undeformed regions resulting from the manufacturing process, may hinder an effective reshaping into a brand new geometry. Therefore, the proper selection among the sheet metal forming processes to overcome such a limitation is of utmost importance. The present work, based on a full numerical approach, investigates the reshaping process of a discshaped EoL by hydroforming using a Magneto Rheological Fluid (MRF) as the forming medium. The basic idea is to combine the advantages coming from the flexibility of the hydroforming process with those from the MRF whose behavior (i.e. its viscosity affecting the shear stresses at the contact with the blank) can be tailored by adjusting the applied magnetic field. The reshaping approach is investigated according to two separate routes, differentiated by a different target geometry. A factorial plan of numerical simulations allowed to investigate the effect of the MRF behaviour as well as the geometry of the EoL component on the quality of the reshaped part, expressed in terms of accuracy in the final shape and thickness distribution