Manufacturing of innovative components formed using SPF processes and filled with aluminum metal foams

This work is part of scientific studies with the wider aim to produce components for aerospace industrial applications. Particularly, components with complex geometry are manufactured by using innovative technologies. The aim of this paper is to verify the technological feasibility of the manufacturing of components formed using Super Plastic Forming (hereinafter called SPF) process and filled with aluminum foam. The component under investigation is composed of an outer layer of a thin sheet in titanium alloy, formed by SPF technology, and a core in aluminum foam manufactured by the powder compact melting technique. Drop weight impact tests have been carried out with the aim to estimate the improvement of the innovative component in terms of energy absorption compared to the sum of the single constituents. The results have showed significant improvements in the energy absorption capability, proving that the proposed concept is technically promising.