High Energy Forming and Joining

Conventional cold and hot forming processes of at sheet, plate, and extrusion products were discussed in the earlier chapters. In conventional forming processes, parts were mainly formed on the forming tools, which are of a male or female type depending on the part geometry and forming processes used to produce parts using mechanical or hydraulic presses and other types of forming machines. Conventional forming processes are normally low-strain-rate deformation processes, whereas high energy forming and joining processes are very high-strain-rate deformation processes. In high energy forming processes, very high pressures are applied on the workpiece for a short time interval. The workpiece is formed at a rapid strain rate on the order of microseconds, as induced by high velocity energy sources. This chapter will discuss three major high energy forming and joining processes, as illustrated in Figure 12.1.