Compare the forming quality and springback for different materials under the same conditions. Record your observations below:

Aerospace Component Manufacturing

A leading aerospace company needs to produce a complex curved panel for a new aircraft design. They are considering using rubber pad forming due to its ability to create complex shapes with minimal tooling costs.

A leading aerospace company needs to produce a complex curved panel for a new aircraft design. They are considering using rubber pad forming due to its ability to create complex shapes with minimal tooling costs.

Challenge:

The panel needs to be made from a high-strength aluminum alloy and must maintain tight tolerances to ensure proper aerodynamics. The company wants to minimize material waste and reduce the need for post-forming operations.

Solution:

The engineers decide to use rubber pad forming with the following setup:

• Material: High-strength aluminum alloy (similar to the "aluminum" in our simulator)
• Rubber Type: Medium hardness (60 Shore A)
• Applied Force: 75% of maximum capacity
• Custom-designed mold to achieve the complex curvature

Results:

Using the rubber pad forming process, the company was able to achieve:

• High forming quality with minimal springback
• Reduced tooling costs compared to traditional stamping methods
• Ability to produce small to medium batch sizes economically
• Minimal surface damage to the aluminum panels
• Reduced need for post-forming operations

Conclusion:

The rubber pad forming process proved to be an excellent choice for this aerospace application. It allowed for the production of complex-shaped panels with high precision and quality, while keeping costs down and maintaining flexibility in production volumes.