The sheet metal processing industry could see a dramatic change due to the new alloys. The innovative metal alloys have the opportunity to do away with long-standing practices in the sheet metal working industry. The Metal Working World awaited the chance to see the series of new alloys fulfill their promises—in what ways, with what impact, and with what applications and properties? What are the real revolutionary changes that the new metal types might effect in the processing industry?
Sheet metal processing has blossomed into a vibrant industry, thanks largely to a new generation of specialized alloys with some remarkable properties. These materials have opened up many applications; some of them seem almost too good to be true. In this chapter, we'll look at several such applications. But before we do that, let's step back for a moment and think about sheet metal processing as an overall concept. What is it, and what do we mean when we say "sheet metal processing"? Moreover, why should we be at all interested in it anyway? After all, since the days of the ancient world, when people first began to hammer out plates of metal, isn't it fundamentally the same thing?
Latest-generation alloys boast completely new characteristics. They are much stronger than metals that came before them—by as much as 10 times—and are much lighter. In many cases, they have replaced aluminum and steel, yet, in the main, resist corrosion better than any metal available today. It’s worth putting that in italics: any metal available today. So these base alloys, which, it should be noted, are usually alloyed with titanium or magnesium, in fact, do not exist; rather, they are figments of our imagination. To put it another way, any metal that is alloyed with any combination of elements has the potential to be a 'super' alloy.
Sheet Metal Processing with New Alloys
Sheet metal processing benefits from the application of new alloys. Metal alloy combinations applied to sheet metal have broadened the sheet metal's range of application—far beyond the automotive, and even, aerospace industries—into a virtual universe of Consumer Electronics. Take a moment to consider the last time you saw a door, window, or wall of a house: some portion of those structures is likely fabricated from sheet metal. And that is true for the interiors of many buildings as well. Definitely an "infrastructure" application. So we are going to take these next two sections to consider not some distant next universe of new alloys in sheet metal processing. Rather, we will look at Alloy Universe—here and now. What are the new specific alloys being applied to sheet metal? And what are the advantages that they're bringing to infrastructure, automotive, and aerospace applications?
How new alloys affect production The world of sheet metal is seeing an influx of new alloys that are changing the basic manufacturing processes associated with the material. And they are not just blending with existing materials; they are remaking the essential techniques of the sheet metal world. Stamping, cutting, welding, and forming sheet metal have to be rethought considerably to deal with the new alloys. Of course, if these new manufacturing methods don't significantly enhance line efficiency and product quality, then the new alloys are just a liability. But enhance them they must. Otherwise, the new sheets will not be an asset to manufacturers but a liability.
The advantages of new alloys are sometimes offset by three obstacles that keep them from being widely adopted in the sheet metal processing industry: cost, availability, and compatibility with existing sheet metal processing equipment and methods. Let's take a closer look at these three problems and some potential solutions that might help alloy adoption in our industry. Along the way, we'll also take a glance at some research being done on alternative sheet metal forming methods that could help ease the adoption of new sheet metal forming alloys.
To summarize, the innovative metal alloys are crucial for the development of an increasingly revolutionary industry. This industry is largely dominated by a seemingly insatiable demand for metal formed into flat shapes—sheet metal, in particular—needed for an ever-expanding range of applications. Though the processing methods for sheet metal are getting better all the time, they still must contend with the incompatible properties of the new metal alloys. Opus suggests that the future of the economy, and by extension the future of the metal alloys, is bound up with the future demand for innovation—what might soon become an absolutely necessary future.