가스블로우포밍을 이용한 부품 제작기술

Sheet metal forming process is one of the main fabrication processes in automotive part manufacturing. Recent adoption of Euro 5 emission standard for passenger cars requires more severe in-use operating conditions so to reduce the overall weight and increase exhaust gas temperature. Therefore, an innovative process like superplastic forming which is widely used in aerospace industry has been considered for manufacturing lightweight automotive structures. One of the most important advantages of using superplastic forming technology is the simplicity and economy in tooling. The most widely used superplastic forming is blow-forming, in which a metal sheet is deformed due to the pressure difference of hydrostatic gas on both sides of the sheet. However, direct application of this process is not easy for automotive industry, which requires high production rate and comparative cost. Even though, many car manufactures currently use similar technology using gas blow forming in U.S., Japan, and EU. This paper provides the description of gas blow forming technology and provide current state of use in foreign car manufacturers with introducing superplastic forming technology developed in Korea. Transition of gas blow forming technology from aerospace technology to automotive industry will be successful with current state of technology KARI possesses.