Titanium materials are widely used in aerospace, marine engineering, chemical equipment, and medical fields due to their high strength, corrosion resistance, low density, and excellent biocompatibility. However, unlike traditional metal processing, the shaping of titanium materials is achieved through specific techniques. This article, based on the physical properties of titanium materials, systematically analyzes the technical key points and application scenarios of the four core processes: bending forming, stamping forming, spinning forming, and expansion jointing.
Bending Forming: The Balanced Art of Plastic-Elastic Deformation
Bending forming is the most common forming method in titanium equipment manufacturing. It achieves shape control through the combination of plastic deformation and elastic recovery. The core process points are as follows:
1. Resilience Control: After bending, titanium materials undergo elastic recovery, which requires compensation by adjusting the bending radius or process parameters. For example, a margin of 2° to 5° should be reserved for the bending angle to counteract the rebound.
2. Minimum Bending Radius Limitation: The minimum bending radius of titanium materials is typically three times the pipe diameter (cold bending) or twice (hot bending). Titanium pipes with a diameter of less than 50mm can be bent using the cold bending process, but after cold bending, stress relief annealing (holding at 450-550°C for 1 hour) is required to eliminate residual stress.
3. Optimization of Hot Bending Process:
- Temperature Control: The heating temperature for pure titanium hot bending is 177-350°C, and for titanium alloys, it can be heated to 427°C. At this point, the yield strength decreases by 25%-50%, and the plasticity significantly improves, with the rebound angle reduced to less than 1°.
- Loading Method: Hot bending is divided into tension bending (axial tension) and compression bending (local compression). Tension bending is suitable for long pipe components, while compression bending is suitable for short pipe components.
- Gas Protection: Hot bending should be carried out in an inert gas or vacuum environment to avoid the formation of oxide scales.
- Application Case: A deep-sea exploration equipment uses the hot bending process of titanium pipes. At 250°C, it achieves a 180° bending, with a rebound of only 0.5°, and the surface oxide layer thickness is less than 0.1mm, significantly enhancing the equipment's pressure resistance.
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