Research project P2/01 (Research action P2)
Context
Aerospace serial production is not comparable to that of wide use products such as cars for example. Several small parts with complex shapes have to be produced in rather small series, which makes the cost of the tooling a significant percentage of the overall cost of the part itself.
Therefore, the development of SPIF process, which does not require the development of expensive tools and which allows rapidly manufacturing prototype parts in a design phase is of major interest for aerospace industry.
Project description
Objectives
The availability of improved materials combining a low specific weight with high strength and stiffness properties, as can be provided by Equal-Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) treatment of selected alloys and the Single Point Incremental Forming process (SPIF), an emerging flexible forming technique characterised by extremely high achievable strain levels compared to conventional forming methods offer valorisation potential in terms of reduced manufacturing costs, due to significantly reduced tooling requirements, lead time reductions and weight reduction of the components, which forms a major life cycle cost advantage.
Methodology
The interest of the SPIF process will be investigated in a first step on the new alloy without ECAP process. In a second step, other tests will be performed on smaller parts perhaps scaled aeronautical part in material manufactured either by a modified ECAP process, or by ECAP + Rolling processes. The possible coupling with a local laser heating process will be investigated if required. It is well known that ECAP process materials are hard to form as well as that SPIF process can induce higher strains than classical deep drawing.
Interaction between the different partners
ULg develops and identifies numerical material models for initial and ECAP material and simulates the SPIF process. As project coordinator, ULg assumes the project management.
KULeuven designs and produces a new ECAP device. He performs microstructural identification and macroscopic tests after ECAP, after rolling by CRM and after SPIF, investigates SPIF processing and the formability of the initial and the ECAP materials, he provides aeronautic parts as well as cut samples in these parts to allow their characterisation.
CRM performs the initial material characterisation, he studies the effect of rolling, he performs microstructural identification, macroscopic tests, fatigue tests and is in charge of producing the stiffeners.
US investigates a modified ECAP method producing sheets without further rolling, he provides submicron material in sheet. He performs microstructural identification and macroscopic tests of his ECAP sheets.
Results
Expected results and/or products
Coupling the SPIF process and an ECAP material should result in a global solution: a higher yield stress material with its adapted forming process.
Contribution of the project in a context of support to innovation and transfer of knowledge
The result dissemination will be quite effective by publications in international journals: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, Scripta or Acta Materialia, International Journal of Plasticity… and presentations in international conferences like ESAFORM, Shemet, Metal Forming, Complas, Numiform, Numisheet, …
Partners
Contact Information
Coordinator
Anne-Marie Habraken
Université de Liège (ULg)
Département ARGENCO
Bâtiment B52/3
Chemin des Chevreuils 1
B-4000 Liège 1
Tel: +32 (0)4 366 94 30
Fax: +32 (0)4 366 91 92
Anne.Habraken@ulg.ac.be
Promoters
Bert Verlinden
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KULeuven)
Departement Metaalkunde en Toegepaste Materiaalkunde (MTM)
Kasteelpark Arenberg 44
B-3001 Heverlee-Leuven
Tel: +32 (0)16 32 12 75
Fax: +32 (0)16 32 19 92
Bert.Verlinden@mtm.kuleuven.be
Joost Duflou
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KULeuven)
Afdeling PMA
Celestijnenlaan 300B
B-3001 Heverlee-Leuven
Tel: +32 (0)16 32 28 45
Fax: +32 (0)16 32 29 86
joost.duflou@mech.kuleuven.ac.be
Alain Schmitz
Centre de Recherches Métallurgiques (CRM)
Domaine Universitaire du Sart Tilman (P59)
Avenue du Bois St Jean 21
B-4000 Liège
Tel: +32 (0)4 254 62 97
Fax: +32 (0)4 254 62 62
schmitz_a@rdmetal.ulg.ac.be
Andrzej Rosochowski
University of Strathclyde (US - DMEM)
James Weir Building
75 Montrose Street
Glasgow G1 1XJ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 141 548 43 53
Fax: +44 141 548 48 70
a.rosochowski@strath.ac.uk
Follow-up Committee
Sabine Spangel - Corus Aluminium Walzprodukte GmbH (Corus)
Guy Janssen - GDTECH
Yves Marchal - SONACA S.A.
Jean-Philippe Ponthot - Université de Liège (ASMA-LTAS)
Marc Wielandts - NANOSHAPE S.A.
Luc de Buyser - IWT-Vlaanderen
An Aluminium alloy improved by ECAP and formed by SPIF process (ALECASPIF) : final report
Habraken, Anne Marie - Rosochowski, A. - Verlinden, Bert ... et al Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2010 (SP2208)
[To download]
[To order]
