Product novelty 04. October 2021

Due to their good weight-related mechanical properties, light metals such as titanium, aluminum and magnesium offer great application potential, especially for applications in the mobility / vehicle construction sector. On the other hand, there are comparatively limited possibilities for the economical production of formed components. Due to the comparatively low formability of these materials at room temperature, process chains with several forming steps and intermediate heat treatments are often required to manufacture complex components. An alternative is superplastic forming, which, however, is also very costly due to the long cycle times, the high energy consumption and the need to use protective gas.In cooperation with the Fraunhofer IST in an AIF-funded project, the Fraunhofer IWU has developed an economical, temperature-controlled hydroforming process with a gaseous active medium for titanium components (grade 2) and demonstrated the potential using a T-piece. The forming temperature (400 ° C) was chosen in such a way that a significantly increased formability compared to room temperature was achieved without the need for protective gas or special tool materials suitable for high temperatures. Specifically, the possible dome height for a T-piece with a 30 mm pipe diameter and 1 mm wall thickness with a comparable minimum wall thickness was increased from 15 to 25 mm.