Investigation of the effects of oscillations on the superplastic forming of aluminum sheets

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In order to reduce the weight of passenger vehicles, more and more sheet metal parts are being made fromaluminum. And in order to improve the formability of aluminum, some automotive panels are being formedslowly at high temperatures (around 450ºC): this superplastic forming process allows large, lightweightautomotive parts with complex features to be manufactured. While superplastic forming of aluminum isleading to significant weight savings, it remains a slow process.The aim of this research project is to evaluate the potential for improving the superplastic forming of aluminumautomotive panels by superimposing a vibration on the sheet material while it is being deformed. AEM PowerSystems Inc., in collaboration with the University of Windsor will carry out some experimental tensile testingof aluminum sheets at superplastic temperatures with and without superimposed vibrations, and the maximumdeformations that can be achieved will be recorded in both cases. Based on the known benefits of vibrations inother sheet metal forming processes, it is anticipated that an improvement in formability will be observed.In a second phase the amplitude and frequency of the superimposed vibration will be varied, and the influenceof each parameter on the maximum deformation achieved will be investigated. Finally, the analysis of theexperimental data will help to identify the optimum combination of amplitude and frequency.The third phase of this project will be to develop a preliminary numerical model of this superplastic formingprocess that does not include the effect of the vibrations. The development of the numerical model to includethe effects of vibration are beyond the scope of this 6-month project, however, it will be important in the futureto extend the collaboration beyond this preliminary investigation so as to develop & validate a reliable finiteelement model for the simulation of industrial superplastic forming with superimposed oscillations.It is anticipated that this research will give AEM Power Systems Inc. the knowledge and ability to reduce thecosts and the cycle time associated with the superplastic forming of aluminum automotive parts.