A method for controlling a superplastic forming machine for imprinting a shape on a sheet, the machine comprising: a cover; a vat; a press and a peripheral seal for gripping the sheet at its periphery and sealing a pressurized forming chamber delimited by the sheet; members for heating the sheet directly by radiation, these being arranged facing the sheet; a programmable controller. The method involves: determining an initial heating configuration; a finite-element simulation relating to the temperature of the sheet and performed in such a way as to have a temperature that is substantially consistent across the sheet and substantially constant during the course of the forming, in order to obtain a forming specification comprising at least a cycle of powering the heating members and a cycle of pressure in the forming chamber; programming the programmable controller according to the forming specification yielded by the previous simulation.

A method for controlling a superplastic forming machine for imprinting a shape on a sheet, the machine comprising: a cover; a vat; a press and a peripheral seal for gripping the sheet at its periphery and sealing a pressurized forming chamber delimited by the sheet; members for heating the sheet directly by radiation, these being arranged facing the sheet; a programmable controller. The method involves: determining an initial heating configuration; a finite-element simulation relating to the temperature of the sheet and performed in such a way as to have a temperature that is substantially consistent across the sheet and substantially constant during the course of the forming, in order to obtain a forming specification comprising at least a cycle of powering the heating members and a cycle of pressure in the forming chamber; programming the programmable controller according to the forming specification yielded by the previous simulation.

A method of, and arrangement for, producing shaped hollow metal objects by a hot process. A metal hollow semi-finished-product with at least one opening is heated to a forming temperature and placed into a cavity, whose shape corresponds to the desired final external shape of the hollow object. Then the cavity is sealed and water and/or steam is introduced therein. After the final shape of the semi-finished-product is achieved, the semi-finished-product is removed. The cavity is formed by a split mould, whose opening's entry edge has an expanded portion, against which a sealing feature is oriented. The outer surface of the sealing feature is arranged to close against this expanded portion. The sealing feature is also provided with a means of supply of water and/or steam, and a tube through which the water and/or steam is supplied. This tube extends into the interior space of the semi-finished-product, and can be provided with nozzles.

An aerofoil structure with a hollow cavity is manufactured by diffusion bonding and superplastic forming. Outer panels are formed of a first material; a membrane is formed of a second material. Stop-off material is applied to preselected areas on at least one side of the membrane or of one of the panels so as to prevent diffusion bonding between the panels and the membrane at the preselected areas. The panels and the membrane are arranged in a stack and a diffusion bonding process is performed to bond together the first and second panels and the membrane to form an assembly. A superplastic forming process is performed at a forming temperature to expand the assembly to form the aerofoil structure. The forming temperature is selected so that the second material undergoes superplastic deformation at the forming temperature and the first material does not undergo superplastic deformation at the forming temperature.

An aerofoil structure with a hollow cavity is manufactured by diffusion bonding and superplastic forming. Outer panels are formed of a first material; a membrane is formed of a second material. Stop-off material is applied to preselected areas on at least one side of the membrane or of one of the panels so as to prevent diffusion bonding between the panels and the membrane at the preselected areas. The panels and the membrane are arranged in a stack and a diffusion bonding process is performed to bond together the first and second panels and the membrane to form an assembly. A superplastic forming process is performed at a forming temperature to expand the assembly to form the aerofoil structure. The forming temperature is selected so that the second material undergoes superplastic deformation at the forming temperature and the first material does not undergo superplastic deformation at the forming temperature.

A forming device that forms a metal pipe by blow forming includes: a gas supply part that supplies a gas to a metal pipe material to expand the metal pipe material; a die attachment part to which a die that is brought into contact with the expanded metal pipe material to form the metal pipe is attached; a gas discharge part that discharges the gas from the metal pipe material; and a pressure detector that detects a pressure of the gas, the gas supply part includes a gas compression part that compresses the gas, and a supply line that transfers the gas compressed by the gas compression part to the metal pipe material, the gas discharge part includes a discharge line that transfers the discharged gas, and the pressure detector is provided in each of the supply line and the discharge line.

A method is provided for forming a flat metal blank as a workpiece in a forming die.

A method is provided for forming a flat metal blank as a workpiece in a forming die.

A system and method for hydraulic forming of sheets is provided. A coil is connected to a pulse generator storing electric energy and discharging the electric energy to the coil, creating a first electromagnetic field in the coil. A conductive plate placed on the coil such that the first electromagnetic field causes creating of a second electromagnetic field in the conductive plate, in a direction opposite to the first electromagnetic field, creating a force. A pressure chamber filled with a fluid and placed on the conductive plate. A piston placed inside the pressure chamber to transfer the force to the fluid. A sheet placed on the pressure chamber, the fluid being configured to receive the force from the piston and transfer the force to the sheet. A die placed on the sheet, wherein the force transferred to the sheet from the fluid causes the sheet to take a shape of the die.

A multi-forming device is disclosed. A multi-forming device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a lower mold die; a lower mold that is disposed at a center upper surface of the lower mold die, in which a gas passage is formed in an up-and-down direction to receive a shaping gas from an outside gas supplier device, in which a lower mold surface is formed at an upper surface thereof, and in which a plurality of heating cartridges are disposed therein along the lower surface thereof; an upper mold that is disposed on an upper side slider to be moved in an up-and-down direction corresponding to the lower mold, in which an upper mold surface is formed at a lower surface corresponding to the lower mold, in which an upper mold face is formed at a circumference of the upper mold surface, and in which a plurality of heating cartridges are disposed along the upper mold surface; a blank holder through which the lower mold is inserted and that is disposed to move in an up-and-down direction through a cushion spring on the lower mold die, and in which a holder face is formed to grasp a material together with the upper mold face at an early stage of a forming process; an inner gas pipe that is disposed in a gas passage of the lower mold; and a switch valve that switches supply passages of the shaping gas that is supplied to the inner gas pipe and the gas passage.