Multi-warm Forming Device for Aluminum Alloy Sheet Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current forming methods for magnesium and aluminum alloys face challenges in producing products with complex shapes and large forming depths due to limitations in formability, increased costs, and reduced productivity, particularly with magnesium alloys, while aluminum alloys are costly for mass production and have high facility costs.
Innovation Solution
A multi-warm forming device and method that combines warm forming with pressurized plastic deformation and blow-forming using a single mold set, where the material is heated to a super-plasticity temperature below the annealing temperature to reduce dislocation density and achieve deep forming depths and complex shapes with reduced process complexity and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If warm forming is applied to magnesium alloy sheets, then formability is improved at high temperatures, but the number of processes and components increases for complex shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines warm forming and blow-forming processes into a single integrated operation using one mold set. The mold includes both a forming portion for pressurized plastic deformation and a blowing portion for super-plastic forming, allowing complex shapes to be achieved in one process rather than multiple separate operations
Solution Approach 2:
The mold is designed with multi-functionality to perform both warm forming and blow-forming operations. The mold set can switch between pressurized deformation mode and gas blowing mode, enabling a single mold to handle various forming requirements for complex shapes without requiring separate dedicated molds for each process
2Shape
If die casting process is used for aluminum alloy, then complex shapes and large forming depths are achieved, but facility cost and number of processes increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses gas pressure (pneumatics) to inflate the heated aluminum alloy sheet into the final complex shape during the blowing portion of the process. This replaces the need for molten metal injection in die casting, achieving complex shapes through controlled gas pressure rather than costly and complex die casting facilities
Solution Approach 2:
The process utilizes super-plasticity of aluminum alloy at specific temperatures (below annealing temperature) to achieve extreme ductility and formability. By controlling temperature parameters and applying gas pressure, the material can be formed into complex shapes without the need for traditional die casting high-temperature molten metal injection
3Manufacturing precision
If super-plasticity forming is used for aluminum alloy, then extreme ductility and deep forming are achieved, but temperature control precision is critical
Solution Approach 1:
The mold includes heating portions with heating cartridges that can independently control temperature in different regions of the mold. This allows localized temperature control to match the specific super-plasticity temperature requirements of different areas of the aluminum alloy sheet, ensuring precise temperature management throughout the forming process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The multi-warm forming device effectively forms aluminum alloy sheets to maximum depths and final shapes with minimized defects and costs, reducing the number of components and processes required, thus overcoming the limitations of existing methods by leveraging super-plasticity characteristics and gas pressure for non-contact mold forming.
Implementation Method 1
the material is heated to a super-plasticity temperature below the annealing temperature to reduce dislocation density
Implementation Method 2
blow-forming using a single mold set, where the material is heated to a super-plasticity temperature below the annealing temperature
Implementation Method 3
a blank holder of which the mold mounting portion is inserted into a penetration hole that is formed corresponding to the mold mounting portion, is able to be moved in a vertical direction by a guide post and a cushion spring
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-warm forming device and the forming method are disclosed. A multi-warm forming device according to one or a plurality of exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include: a lower mold die that is disposed on a bolster for a process and in which a mold mounting portion having at least one space portion is formed at a center thereof; a lower mold that is disposed at an upper surface of a mold mounting portion of the lower mold die, in which a plurality of gas supply passages formed therein in a vertical direction are connected to a gas supply device of an outside through a gas supply line, and a lower forming surface is formed at an upper surface thereof; an upper mold that is mounted on a slider of an upper portion to be able to be moved up and down corresponding to the lower mold at an upper portion of the lower mold die, in which an upper forming surface is formed at a lower surface corresponding to the lower mold, an upper mold face surface is formed at a circumference of the upper forming surface, and a plurality of heating cartridges are mounted inside along the upper forming surface and the upper mold face surface; and a blank holder of which the mold mounting portion is inserted into a penetration hole that is formed corresponding to the mold mounting portion, is able to be moved in a vertical direction by a guide post and a cushion spring that are mounted within the lower mold die, and in which a plurality of heating cartridges are mounted along a holder face surface that restrains a material together with the upper mold face surface at an early stage of a forming process.