Optimal design of technological parameters for hot-pushing pipe-bending based on virtual orthogonal experiment

The process of hot-pushing pipe-bending was simulated with different factors and different levels being chosen in the virtual orthogonal experiment. Based on the quantification of the value and the uniformity of the pipe thickness to the average value and variance of thickness, rationalized technological parameters were then obtained including bending angle, expanding ratio, initial bending radius, pushing speed and the influence of the friction coefficient. The verifying experiment shows that the results of the numerical simulation and orthogonal experiment were accurate and effectual and the pipe quality met the requirement on the wall thickness and uniformity.