Prediction of non-uniform thinning in superplastically formed spherical domes

Superplastic forming is an attractive manufacturing process, which allows the production of complex sheet metal components. The gas pressure bulging of metal sheets has become an important forming method. As the bulging process progresses, significant thinning in the sheet material becomes obvious. A prior knowledge about non-uniform thinning in the product after forming helps the designer in the selection of initial blank thickness. This paper suggests a simple procedure to obtain the variation in thickness of a gas pressure formed spherical dome at any instant of time during the bulging process. This simple procedure is validated by comparing predicted and measured thicknesses of a formed titanium hemispherical dome.