If you are browsing our Raleigh metal forming vendor website, you are probably already familiar with hydroforming, a process of metal forming that uses highly pressurized hydraulic fluid to mold materials around a die. Hydroforming is an amazing process that is often the only way to create complex, hollow, or tubular shapes, without any seams or welds. Below are some of the most interesting things made from hydroforming equipment!
While manufacturers were able to create bike frames before hydroforming equipment was developed, hydroforming now allows them to create bike frames that are stronger, lighter, and faster. Since hydroformed bike frames contain less material than non-hydroformed frames, riders are able to accelerate more quickly and easily. A hydroformed frame also minimizes vibrations to the seat-post, making for a much more comfortable (and faster) ride. When all’s said and done, hydroforming helps create a bike that accelerates, climbs hills, and rounds corners easily – qualities that make these bikes highly valued by cycling enthusiasts.
As the preferred method for forming lightweight, tubular shapes, hydroforming is also used to manufacture brass instruments, such as French horns and saxophones. A hydroformed saxophone is able to have a narrower bore, or the interior pathway through which the air travels. The narrower bore allows the player to have greater control over the instrument, resulting in a better sound, and a greater benefit to both musician and listeners!
Hydroforming is a good method for creating durable, reliable shell casings that can safely expand under pressure as a gun is firing, without compromising the accuracy of the shot. Many at-home gunsmiths prefer to use hydroforming to make bullet cases, because it is a relatively quiet method when compared to other options (i.e. fire forming, the process of reshaping a cartridge case to fit a new chamber by firing it within that chamber). We should note that making bullet casings is a risky process, so be sure to do your research and follow safety protocols if you decide to try this at home!
We hope this article has helped inform you of some of the amazing uses for hydroforming—or even sparked your imagination for a new use you’d like to try! If you’d like to buy new or used hydroforming machinery in Apex, Raleigh, Cary, or the surrounding areas, give Active Machinery a call. With over 35 years in the metal fabrication industry, we have exactly what you need to get the job done!
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Apex, NC 27502
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