Recent work has demonstrated that high velocity metal forming can stretch metals considerably further than traditional quasi-static forming. Further, practical strategies have been developed to use high-velocity electromagnetic forming to produce complex, low-cost sheet components. Applying this technology to aluminum can provide significant cost savings in aircraft manufacture and the ability to inexpensively produce lighter weight automotive structures. While many of the controlling factors for the high velocity forming process have been identified, there is little basic understanding of the mechanisms that produce the extended ductility and also very little data on the formability of sheet metals at the high velocities. In this program, the strains to failure of aluminum alloys shall be measured in high velocity forming using both simple boundary conditions that lend themselves to basic understanding as well as complex conditions that are more relevant to manufacturing. These experimental tests will be highly instrumented to capture the dynamic behavior. The experimental results of this GOALI project will be used to develop models of high velocity sheet metal formability, which should have significant industrial application in predicting processing capability
