Abstract
Tube hydroforming has been developed to become a widely used process in chassis, powertrain and, more recently, body components. As the process is relatively new to the automotive industry, procedures for component development are therefore not yet established. A key issue is whether 'best practice' for tube hydroforming can be derived from guidelines of other established manufacturing technologies such as panel stamping. It is apparent that while some panel stamping practices can be successfully applied, others require specific modification to ensure a safe and robust tube hydroforming process, particularly in terms of formability and dimensional control. This paper will compare aspects of 'best practice'of tube hydroforming with those of other established manufacturing processes, based upon Corus' experience of a range of tube hydroforming component developments.