Abstract
The squeeze-forming process, involving the pressurized solidification of liquid metal in re-usable dies is described, and the importance of various process parameters is discussed. A range of aluminium-alloy components made by GKN Technology Ltd using this technique is shown, and details are given of the types of component geometry amenable to the process. Mechanical-property data determined in several of these components are presented for a number of aluminium alloys. It is observed that both ‘forging’ and ‘casting’ alloys can be successfully squeeze formed, and that the mechanical properties achieved compare favourably with conventional properties. It is concluded that the work performed at GKN Technology Ltd has confirmed squeeze forming to be a potentially powerful technique for the manufacture of a wide range of aluminium components in competition with more conventional production methods.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.