Deformation Calculation of Cross-section Based on Virtual Force in Thin-walled Tube Bending Process

Cross-section deformation is one of important factors affecting the quality of tube formation, and the tube's capability of transporting liquid and gas will be reduced because of the cross-section ellipse deformation due to the effect of shear load in plastic bending process. When the tube is bent, the extrados-wall bears the tension stress and the intrados-wall bears the compression stress, synchronously the cross-section is affected by the circumferential stress. According to the above, the distribution function and curve of tangential stress can be obtained according to force balance differential equations on circumferential direction and Trasca rule. Subsequently the real state and virtual state moment equations were established, a new method was presented adopting the virtual principle of deformation system to calculate the x-axis and y-axis displacement of arbitrary point on cross-section. So the major and minor axes of deformed cross-section can be calculated according to the displacements of each point, and the variety value of major and minor axes will be obtained further. Finally the theoretical calculating result is compared with NC tube rotary-bending experiment results to verify the rationality of theoretical analysis, and the cross-section deformation rule of thin-walled tube can be received.