Conclusion

Superplastic forming has experienced significant industrial growth over the last ten years. Titanium, aluminum, and superalloy alloys still account for the majority of formed parts today. With regard to the thermoforming of these alloys, efforts are currently focused on reducing forming costs, both in terms of tooling and the thermomechanical ranges to be implemented in order to achieve microstructures that can exhibit superplastic properties.

From a research perspective, the number of materials for which superplastic behavior has been observed has grown significantly in recent years. This has particularly been the case for thermomechanical ceramics, intermetallic alloys, and metal matrix composites. However, the implementation of superplastic forming for these materials is still in its infancy. With regard to understanding the physical mechanisms activated during...