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Superplastic Forming

Electric Vehicle Battery Tray

Technology Category:

Description: The Materials Processing Group conducts research in superplastic forming to develop advanced forming processes including alloy design, process optimization and modeling to increase the use of superplastic forming as a conventional industrial process.

Initial Laser Weld Pattern

Scond Laser Weld Pattern

Partially Formed TrussCore Sandwich

Fully Formed TrussCore Sandwich

1. Accurate Material Models
2. Accurate and Efficient SPF Process Simulation - Finite Element Models
3. Experimental Verification - Forming of SPF components based on model predictions of optimized forming cycles.

Utilizing Superplasticity in Manufacturing:

SPF Simulation Capabilities:

• MARC
  • Commercial software support
  • Efficient robust formulations
• Metal Forming Analysis
  • Large strain plasticity
  • Contact surfaces - discrete & analytical
  • Elements - Membrane, shell, 2-D & 3-D solids
• Plasticity Formulations
  • Elastic / Visco-plastic
  • Rigid / Visco-plastic flow
• Open Structure for User Defined Models
  • Material models
  • State variables (grain size, cavitation)
  • Friction models
  • Solution optimization routines

PNNL SPF Forming Press

The Superplastic Forming Process:

Murdock SPF/DB Press

• 30" x 30" platten
• 150 ton capacity
• 600 psi dual zone gas system

Process Characteristics

• High temperature / pressure
• Fully enclosed tooling
• Rate dependent forming limits
• Forming difficult to monitor
• Trial and error process development

Point of Contact: Eric Nyberg (509) 372-2510