Series parts manufacturing by infrared superplastic forming with numerical techniques for thermal regulation

International audienceMaterials used for Superplastic forming (SPF) are mainly titanium alloys which are good candidates to produce lightweight complex-shaped components for high performance aerospace applications. SPF process has limitations because it involves a high-temperature furnace with poor heat efficiency and expensive tooling with low management flexibility. Enhancing this manufacturing process is a major challenge for the aerospace industry which is facing to important production ramp-up and cost reductions. Direct heating combined with tool heat management result in significant savings of SPF process: production time savings by drastically reduce the heating time, reduction of maintenance costs and energy savings by significant heat efficiency improvement.Aurock developed direct heating by Infrared emitters and succeed in forming series 1.5x1m² Ti6Al-4V blanks. A key point with this new technology is to ensure a homogeneous blank temperature all along the forming. This point is achieved thanks to lamp power modulations and numerical techniques to secure the blank thermal regulation with a full radiative flux control at different forming stages. Results obtained are stable and repeatable regarding to dimensional criteria, post-forming thicknesses distribution and microstructure. Numerical predictions are in very good agreement with the experimental results, enabling robust machine setup for series Infrared SPF parts production

SERIES PARTS MANUFACTURING BY INFRARED SUPERPLASTIC FORMING WITH NUMERICAL TECHNIQUES FOR THERMAL REGULATION

Materials used for Superplastic forming (SPF) are mainly titanium alloys which are good candidates to produce lightweight complex-shaped components for high performance aerospace applications. SPF process has limitations because it involves a high-temperature furnace with poor heat efficiency and expensive tooling with low management flexibility. Enhancing this manufacturing process is a major challenge for the aerospace industry which is facing to important production ramp-up and cost reductions. Direct heating combined with tool heat management result in significant savings of SPF process: production time savings by drastically reduce the heating time, reduction of maintenance costs and energy savings by significant heat efficiency improvement. Aurock developed direct heating by Infrared emitters and succeed in forming series 1.5x1m² Ti6Al-4V blanks. A key point with this new technology is to ensure a homogeneous blank temperature all along the forming. This point is achieved thanks to lamp power modulations and numerical techniques to secure the blank thermal regulation with a full radiative flux control at different forming stages. Results obtained are stable and repeatable regarding to dimensional criteria, post-forming thicknesses distribution and microstructure. Numerical predictions are in very good agreement with the experimental results, enabling robust machine setup for series Infrared SPF parts production

DEMONSTRATION OF THE APPLICATION OF SUPERPLASTIC FORMING USING INFRARED HEATING EMITTERS TO A PART OF STRUCTURE INCLUDING VARIOUS GEOMETRICAL SINGULARITIES

ArianeGroup and Aurock led a feasibility study through the realization of a scale 1 TA6V demonstrator, using superplastic forming (SPF). ArianeGroup designed the demonstrator according to its knowledge of representative structures, comprising singularities: welds, stiffeners and areas with important thicknesses variations. Aurock performed first numerical simulations of the complete process, putting in evidence the various difficulties to be solved. Then, the demonstrator was physically carried out. Once the demonstration was virtually obtained, each steps of the process were experimented: welding of thick plates with limited deformation, machining of flat panels, pre-forming by rolling and final SPF. For the SPF step, a heating cover and a reinforced refractory castable die were manufactured. Infrared emitters’ position and heating power regulation laws were carefully defined, for the panel to be kept at the correct temperature until being formed. The SPF step led to a successful demonstration of the representative structure. The experimental approach confirmed the process modelling predictability. Limited Scale 1 demonstration was necessary to ensure the process validity with real thicknesses and thickness variations, which are known to mask problems if scale reductions are used without precautions. This methodology can be transfer to a real structure only by tooling adaptations, without additional feasibility works