Abstract:

Electromagnetic tube compression is a high speed forming process which uses the force generated by a pulsed magnetic field to radially deform tubular structures with high electrical conductivity. An application where this innovative technology is commonly used, it is in the process of joining of aluminium tubes by force-fit. The main objective of the present work is to study this alternative process of joining, which is developed an analytical model and presents a theoretical expression to calculate the interference pressure between the two joining partners. Analytical results, numerical simulations and experimental test results for the interference pressure, as well as, for the pull-out force are presented and compared, for two specific cases: (i) for the increasing of magnetic pressure using constant geometry and (ii) for a variable geometry with constant magnetic pressure. Agreement between theoretical and experimental results is verified until the full plastic deformation of the mandrel, and therefore, this is the upper limit of the analytic model, as well as, of the process of joining by force-fit. This study is a contribution towards the understanding of this innovate process of joining of tubes.