A Study of Energy Requirements for Electric Discharge Metal Forming

A discussion of the fundamentals of the process of underwater electric discharge forming of metals is presented. The deformation of a sheet-metal diaphragm blast gauge is used as a measure of the amount of forming achievable in an experimental research program aimed at determining the effects of major variables on the performance of the electric discharge forming process. The behavior of the diaphragm gauge during forming is analyzed and an equation derived for predicting its maximum deflection when exposed to a given explosion. The predicted dependence of gauge deflection on gauge diameter, thickness, strength and density, and on explosion energy and standoff distance is confirmed by experiment. The application of these results to other forming operations is discussed.