Formability characterization of Aluminum Lithium alloys used in spacecraft industry

Aluminum-Lithium (Al-Li) alloys launched in 1982 have gained a widespread focus in aerospace industry due to their unique combination of high elastic modulus and decreased density. As these alloys are under intensive development stage; various research agencies particularly those of defense, space and aviation, etc are still pursuing research regarding the behavior of these alloys. Since Al-Li alloys are used in aviation, their formability characterization is essential. Hence it is important to study the Forming Limit Diagram (FLD) which predicts the limit strains that can be imposed safely during forming. This paper focuses on the experimental strategies used in constructing the FLD of Al-Li alloys and to study the effect of punch velocity, strain hardening exponent and temperature on the level of FLD.