| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this research is to evaluate the use of superplastic forming technology, in the production of the mid-sized Boeing 737 airliners leading edge fairing, as part of the wing’s construction. I will demonstrate the implementation of different air pressures used during the forming process of these superplastics (such as general superplastic forming, rapid superplastic forming and low pressure superplastic forming over a long period of time).I will then observe the change in the microstructure of superplastic 5083 after superplastic forming processes due to the variation in conditions when forming.
The material used for the research is superplastic aluminum alloy 5083 as the starting material. This superplastic has a fine grain structure. The fine grain structure will be converted into a coarse grain structure when exposed to a high-temperature environment over a long period of time. In general, during the forming process, the properties of the resultant molded materials grain structure is altered due to the plastic deformation caused by the materials grain boundary sliding when exposed to high temperatures. However, if the grain boundary slides to a certain degree, cavity can be generated within the material.
By exploring the use of three different air pressures during the forming process of the aircrafts leading edge fairing construction, in conjunction to analysis of the resultant component, regarding grain coarsening phenomenon and void generation within the material, we are able to conduce valuable information, concerning the impact of the forming process on the materials microstructure. From this, it is then possible to deduce the perfect processing conditions for superplastic forming, whilst retaining continuity in the formed articles thickness distribution. | en_US |