Superplastic Forming Simulation and Process Analysis of RE Magnesium Rudder Skin

ZHOU Xianjun; SHI Wenzhan; TANG Guowei; XUE Shaoxi; PENG Heli; HUANG Yuqian

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.12.015

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (12) : 140-146. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.12.015

Advanced Aerospace Manufacturing Technology

Superplastic Forming Simulation and Process Analysis of RE Magnesium Rudder Skin

ZHOU Xianjun^1,2, SHI Wenzhan^1,2, TANG Guowei^1,2, XUE Shaoxi^1,2, PENG Heli^1,2,*, HUANG Yuqian¹

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Abstract

In order to explore new forming methods of RE magnesium rudder skin and expand the application range of RE magnesium, the work aims to analyze the superplastic gas forming process of RE magnesium rudder skin. The superplastic gas forming processes of RE magnesium alloy rudder skin under different forming parameters were analyzed through finite element simulation. The gas loading curve was optimized with the best strain rate as the optimization target. The superplastic forming experiment of RE magnesium rudder skin was conducted with optimized gas loading curve. By analyzing the simulation results, the best superplastic forming parameters were determined as temperature of 420 ℃, forming pressure of 1 MPa, and forming time of 1 h. Under the optimized forming parameters, 2 mm thick RE magnesium blank fitted tightly with the forming die, with the minimum thickness of 1.78 mm, and the thinning rate of 11%. The blank thickness distribution interval of valid skin area was 1.8-2.0 mm. The superplastic forming characteristics of RE magnesium under different die cavity spans were analyzed by extracting the skin displacement distribution in simulation. Through the “high temperature forming and cooling with pressure” process, the RE magnesium rudder skin was obtained under the optimized superplastic gas forming parameters. The rudder skin surface is measured through laser scan measurement, and the forming precision reaches ±0.2 mm, with only slight depression occurring in the skin folded corner, which achieves high precision superplastic gas forming process of RE magnesium rudder skin.

Key words

RE magnesium / superplastic / gas forming / finite element analysis / forming precision

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ZHOU Xianjun, SHI Wenzhan, TANG Guowei, XUE Shaoxi, PENG Heli, HUANG Yuqian. Superplastic Forming Simulation and Process Analysis of RE Magnesium Rudder Skin[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2025, 17(12): 140-146 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.12.015

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