Gas Forming a V-Shape Aluminum Sheet into a Trough with Contour Like the Back of a Twin-Hump-Camel

Abstract

A ~1.2 meter long trough comprising of variable cross-sections, with the highest ratio of depth to opening width reaching 1.4, is gas-formed at 500°C with superplastic aluminum alloy 5083. It is a challenge to successfully make such an industrial scale part as demonstrated in this paper. Starting as an expanded V-shaped groove, pressurized gas is manipulated to flow into the forming die, and the pressure vs. time profile needs to be calculated. Thus, the flow stress in the deforming material is optimal to maintain desired strain rate correspondingly. Thickness distribution over the formed product is far from uniform. The other even undesired result is that the thinnest region suffers severe cavitation