28-12-2012, 06:34 PM
Explosive Forming
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What is explosive forming?
High Velocity Forming
Explosive→ Shockwave in water→Kinetic energy →Plastic work
Explosive Forming
Explosive forming is the forming of sheet metal using explosive materials using large amounts of energy over a very short time . In general, a metal sheet is placed on a die. The die cavity is vacuumed and the assembly is placed in water. An explosive charge is detonated under water pushing the sheet in the die in about 2 milliseconds.
Why Explosive Forming?
• It can simulate a variety of other conventional metal forming techniques such as stamp- or press-forming and spin-forming in a single operation
• It can offer significant cost savings on short-run parts because a one-sided tooling die is generally all that’s required
• Explosive hydro-forming can efficiently form large parts – up to 14’ square or 10’ in diameter
HISTORY OF EXPLOSIVE FORMING
Explosive forming was applied in the 1960’s in the USA and for aerospace and space applications
Also, the technology of explosive welding was developed in the 1970’s.
Several factors contributed to the re-introduction of explosive forming in the 1990’s for forming products with more complicated shapes were required in smaller quantities.
APPLICATIONS WITH EXPLOSIVE FORMING
Explosive forming is mainly applied for nuclear installations, gas turbine components,
architectural buildings and art. Some examples are:
· Exhaust collectors for the Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine.
Cover plates for a nuclear water basin.
Many types of combustor liners from nickel alloys
Many types of manifolds for both gas turbines with a very uniform thickness.
Advantages of Explosion Forming
• improved quality of parts (by high-strength materials),
• perfecting the installation through adapting active media to different shapes of part,
• simply adapting to production process,
• reduction of production stages,
• flexibility of the process due to quick and simple transformation of the tool elements,
• low production costs.
Maintains precise tolerances.
Eliminates costly welds.
Controls smoothness of contours.
Reduces tooling costs.
Less expensive alternative to super-plastic forming.