However, at present costs are high. SPF
presses cost anywhere between £1m and
£6m depending on the size, and to achieve
the desired material behaviours machines
must operate at extremely high temperatures
for long periods of time
The superplastic forming of titanium alloys is
typically performed at 900-930°C. This results
in high energy costs, necessitates the use
of expensive tool materials and limits the
number of parts which can be formed before
the die requires cleaning. As a result, much
of the research carried out by the AFRC’s
forming team is focuses on investigating
how companies can eliminate some of the
costs associated with SPF by running at lower
temperatures and completing the processes
in a reduced amount of time, thereby
decreasing the energy cost while still reaping
the benefits.
There are many companies that could benefit
from adopting SPF technology but the cost
of the equipment is a significant barrier. This
barrier brings with it an opportunity for kit
manufacturers to develop a low-cost, low-
tech investment opportunity for the initial
kit. Not every company needs the same
capability and we would like to see the SPF
equipment manufacturers recognise this
and develop more basic, lower-cost kit that
would make the technology more accessible
to smaller companies in the supply chain
rather than just large multinationals.
We know and understand the many benefits
of SPF technology and because of this we
want to help companies embrace it. If the
whole supply chain can work together,
from the kit manufacturers to the AFRC in
research and development to the OEMs, it
will feed down to the smaller companies in
the supply chain and get more companies
embracing it rather than simply relying
on tried and tested processes. Adopting
this technology could lead to a whole host
of opportunities for smaller businesses –
opportunities that could have a positive
impact on the wider manufacturing sector.
www.strath.ac.uk/research/
advancedformingresearchcentre
Issue 38 PECM
167