Integrated Approach to the Superplastic Forming of Magnesium Alloys

The economical and environmental issues associated with fossil fuels have been urging the automotive industry to cut the fuel consumption and exhaust emission levels, mainly by reducing the weight of vehicles. However, customers ’ increasing demands for safer, more powerful and luxurious vehicles have been adding more weight to the various categories of vehicles, even the smallest ones. Leading car manufacturers have shown that significant weight reduction, yet satisfying the growing demands of customers, would not be feasible without the extensive use of lightweight materials. Magnesium is the lightest constructional metal on earth, offering a great potential for weight-savings. However, magnesium and its alloys exhibit inferior ductility at low temperatures, limiting their practical sheet metal applications. Interestingly, some magnesium alloys exhibit superplastic behaviour at elevated temperatures; mirrored by the extraordinarily large ductility, surpassing that of conventional steels and aluminium alloys. Superplastic forming technique is the process used to form materials of such nature, having the ability to deliver highlyprofiled