Analysis of forming parameters involved in plastic deformation of 441 ferritic stainless-steel tubes

Welded stainless steel tube is a component devoted in several industrial applications. Its manufacturing process needs to follow specific requirements based on reference standards. This calls for a predictive analysis able to face with some critical issues affecting the forming process. In this paper a model was adopted taking into account the tube geometrical parameters, able to describe the deformation process and define the best industrial practices. In this paper, the effect of different process parameters and geometric constraints on ferritic stainless steel pipes deformation is studied by finite element method (FEM) simulations. The model sensitivity to the input parameters is reported in terms of stress and tube thinning. The feasibility of the simulated process is assessed through comparison of Forming Limit Diagrams. The comparison between calculation and experimental results proved this approach to be a useful tool in order to predict and properly design industrial deformation processes.