Advances in Tooling Technology
In recent years, a great deal has been learned through testing and research about predicting and controlling the behavior of aerospace aluminum alloys and other metals under very high forming pressures.
The result has been a much greater practical understanding of the elastic/plastic thresholds and the tensile and yield strengths of metals. Among the many findings is the value of introducing tensile stress during the forming process to better control stretching uniformity and springback compensation. New tooling designs now being developed are dramatically changing the economics of fluid cell parts production. These tool design innovations result in far more precision in the control of materials, producing final net size components with closer tolerances and a higher percentage of assembly-ready parts in a single forming cycle.
