Near-net-shape manufacture of engineering components using bulge-forming processes: a review

Bulge forming is a manufacturing process that is becoming increasingly important as a technology that can be used to produce seamless, lightweight and near-net-shape industrial components. The process is being increasingly applied in the automotive and aerospace industries where the demand for increased structural strength and decreased vehicle weight make it a very attractive manufacturing method. This paper discusses the application of bulge forming to the manufacture of near-net-shape components and discusses machine and tool design, and illustrates how finite-element simulation is playing a growing role in the design of bulge-forming processes.