Processes and equipment for superplastic forming of metals

Gérard Bernhart (1) , Philippe Lours (1) , Thierry Cutard (1) , Vincent Velay (1) , Fabien Nazaret (1)

1 ICA - Institut Clément Ader

The industrial use of materials with superplastic behaviour has required the development of dedicated processes, including all the related tooling equipment. This chapter first describes the various superplastic sheet-forming processes. Then the industrial equipment is detailed along with the technological options that may be used for heating platens. Special focus is given to tools and dies, either metallic, ceramic or refractory concrete-based: their material grades and properties are discussed, as are the methods used for modelling them. Finally, emerging processes are identified.

Mots clés: superplastic forming; quick forming; single sheet; multiple sheet; diffusion bonding; forming equipment; press-furnaces; die materials; metallic tools; ceramic tools; die design; die simulation; emerging processes

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

Gérard Bernhart, Philippe Lours, Thierry Cutard, Vincent Velay, Fabien Nazaret. Processes and equipment for superplastic forming of metals. Extrait de : Superplastic forming of advanced metallic materials : methods and applications (chap. 3) / sous la dir. de G. GIULIANO, Woodhead Publishing, p.49-71, 2011, 978-1-84569-753-2. ⟨10.1533/9780857092779.1.49⟩. ⟨hal-01729123⟩