Development of Aluminium Sheet Compliant Clamping and Sealing Technologies to Unlock Ultra-High-Speed Blow Forming

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This project seeks to increase the output rate of High Speed Blow Forming (HSBF), a process developed by Verbom that allows superplastic forming of aluminium sheets at high speed. This process achieves a production time of a few minutes per part, but the long-term objective is to reach a production rate of 120 parts per hour. To achieve this, novel strategies regarding the heating of the sheets to superplastic temperatures (~500 C) and the sealing of the sheets in the mold cavities must be developed as these have been identified as the main limitations in increasing the process rate. The expected outcomes of this research project are proof-of-concept prototypes of direct resistance heating and compliant sealing technologies for small-scale aluminium sheets (0.3m x 0.3m). A full-scale (2m x 2m) implementation study will also be realised, allowing Verbom to start testing these technologies in their installations. It is expected that at least 2 patents will result from this work, giving a commercial edge in sheet metal processing for Verbom, and widening the market in the automotive industry, thus increasing the need for aluminium transformation for the Canadian aluminium producers. This project will help to democratize the aluminum usage in vehicles. By offering more design freedom and better pricing, we will expand the number of projects where business cases will justify the switch from steel to aluminum. The result will be lighter vehicle, less energy consumption, better range for electrical vehicle, less pollution and smaller carbon footprint. It will also allow AluQuébec to transpose or combine the knowledge acquired in this project with other aluminum transformation processes, which will in return expand the use of Canadian Aluminium to other markets. This project will contribute to the training of the next generation of highly qualified personnel in the aluminum transformation, which strategic to the Canadian industry.