Superplastic Forming (SPF)
- Superplastic forming is a process designed for sheet material allowing elongation of several hundred percent.
- Materials most commonly associated with SPF
Aluminum alloys: 5083, 7475
Titanium alloys: TA6V
Alloys: INCONEL 718
Two-phase stainless: URANUS45N
Superplastic Forming/Diffusion Bonding (SPF/DB)
- Diffusion bonding is a technique where, after heating, the materials are brought into contact under pressure for a certain amount of time. The process allows bonding of homogeneous or heterogeneous materials. Hence, structures can be manufactured from two, three or four metal sheets
Hot Forming Process
- This technique is derived from the SPF forming process and features the advantage of being used for conventional aluminum alloys. The elongation values, while less then those of the SPF process, may be as high as 100 to 150%.
Interest and advantages of SPF and SPF/DB
- The benefits of SPF increases with the complexity of the parts to be made
- Compared with conventional technologies, SPF offers cost savings in the range of 20-30%
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