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2005
Conference Paper
Titel
The potential and application limits of temperature - supported hydroforming of magnesium alloys
Abstract
Due to the requirements to reduce the part weights in automotive manufacturing significantly, the use of lightweight materials such as magnesium becomes more and more important. Unfortunately, these materials are often connected with a limited cold formability. In the case of magnesium, the hexagonal structure and the resulting limited number of sliding planes represent the main reason for this material behaviour. To extend the magnesium application in car manufacturing, it is essential to identify strategies which make an improvement of the forming behaviour of these materials possible. The use of elevated temperatures in forming operations represents a potential solution approach. Temperature supported hydroforming operations of magnesium offer the chance to combine the advantages of media-based forming operations such as - realization of complex part geometries, - achievement of high forming degrees, - guaranty of a high part accuracy and - guaranty of a high part stiffness with the temperature potentials concerning the creation of additional sliding planes in the material structure. These structure changes are the precondition for an improved forming behaviour. A first project objective of the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU) of Chemnitz in the field of temperature-supported magnesium hydroforming was the proof of principle feasibility of this technology for the realization of large sheet parts. Therefore, this paper gives an overview about the performed research activities including - development and realization of a heating device to provide the appropriate forming temperatures, - aspects of tool design and construction, - achieved effects / results and - application limits / alternative media-based forming processes