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The S&T objective of MagForming is to develop the tools and methodologies for a complete family of advanced, semi-industrial, plastic and super-plastic forming technologies for magnesium wrought alloys and show their industrial feasibility in Aeronautics. The measure for attaining the objective will be the fabrication of several prototypes, one or two for each of the technologies (see figures on the right).

The most important advances of using magnesium shapes have been achieved in the automotive industry. Most projects were focused on cast alloys and methodologies. Out of the few projects dealing with wrought magnesium only AEROMAG, of FP6, is explicitly concerned with aeronautic applications. MagForming complements AEROMAG by developing the forming technologies. It is evident from current research that the products manufactured by forming processes of aluminium could be produced by upgraded processes of magnesium alloys, but in a completely different domain of parameters. To date, none of the prototypes mentioned below have been manufactured with magnesium alloys.

The consequences of successful completion of MagForming will be: in aeronautics (decrease of weight of aircraft), in the environment (less fuel consumed), and in metallurgy (development of new processes). MagForming is a European scale project because the problem is of European scale and the solutions are of European scale: the required expertise cannot be found in one country.

The main objective, which is to develop tools and methodologies for the production of wrought magnesium parts, will be achieved by attaining the following sub-objectives:

1. Methodologies for the preparation of the raw material for plastic deformation. Such preparation will include, among others, solidification processes, rolling processes, extrusion and annealing processes, etc.

2. Study of the lubrication needs of the plastic forming of magnesium. For example: magnesium must be worked at high temperatures; therefore the lubricants must withstand high temperatures, unlike those for aluminium.

3. The development of special heated dies with controlled temperatures and temperature gradients.

4. The development of cooling procedures, to attain the best qualities for the manufactured part, as required by the specifications and, at the same time, preventing damage from the press machine.

5. The development of a press loading application routine: level of force applied, temperature regime, duration of the application of force, process total speed etc.

6. Some minor geometric modifications, within the parts design, using modelling software, to make sure that the magnesium part meets the specifications required by the end users.

Such being the case, the main target of MagForming is to develop several forming processes which are very popular in the aeronautic industry for aluminium and other metals but are not yet transferable to wrought magnesium.

As emphasised before, the focus will be on the industrial scale process development.

Large scale forging
A340 window frame

Medium scale forging
LTS Compressor wheel

Small scale forging
A380 Door stop fitting

SPF
IAI Inner service door skin

Pad forming
Airbus reference part

IAI Leading edge rib

Deep drawing
LTS Scroll

Eurocopter Antenna support

Creep forming
Panel with stiffeners