Numerical Simulation of Forming Process Conditions and Wall Thickness for Balloon

The forming of balloons used in medical treatment is a kind of “black box art”. When a new balloon is being developed, the process parameters and tube dimension are usually determined by a method of trial and error. This method is inefficient in current rapid development of computer technology. Numerical simulation is expected to replace the experiments and experience to guide the development of the new products. In this study, the moulding of the balloon was simulated by a finite element method and the results obtained from the simulation agreed with that of the experiments under the same actual process parameters. Therefore the numerical simulation used is feasible for the process of balloons forming. The effect of process parameters on the wall thickness of balloon was analyzed based on orthogonal design method. The results showed that the effect of first stretch rate on the wall thickness of the balloon was the most significant compared with other process parameters. A regression model of the relationship between wall thickness and the process parameters was established, which could be used to guide the selection of production process parameters.