Metal flow controlled by back pressure in the forming process of rib-web parts

In the forming process of rib-web parts, which are widely used in automobiles and aircrafts, severe streamline disorder often occurs because of unreasonable metal flow. In this study, a back-pressure-controlled forming method that can control the direction of metal flow was introduced. The effects of key parameters on metal flow were investigated, including the back-pressure value, loading mode, and back-pressure distance. The results showed that streamline defects can be avoided and the final forming load can be reduced by reasonably controlling the back-pressure parameters. The constant back-pressure mode was more conducive to achieving good forming quality compared with the linear-increased back-pressure mode. From the stress analysis of metal flow, it was demonstrated that the stress state in the rib root is changed by the back pressure, which makes the metal flow more easily along either the tangential or the radial direction. The advantages of the back-pressure-controlled forming method were confirmed by applying it to a compressor scroll rotor.