Characteristics of tee tube forming deformation zone using plastic pressure-building medium

An unconventional forming process using plastic pressure-building medium is presented to manufacture tee tube. A special experimental device was designed and built, and a three-dimensional rigid-plastic FEM code was developed to simulate the forming process. On the basis of the results of FEM simulation and experimental research, the plastic deformation of tee tube is divided into five different zones, which reveals the characteristics of metal deformation during the unconventional forming processes.