Explosive Forming Experience at Martin-Denver 630024

This paper discusses the experiences, techniques, and findings applicable to explosive forming undertaken at Martin-Denver. These explosive forming experiments were conducted using free-forming techniques. A discussion of development of scaling laws and their application in explosive forming, together with detail formulas controlling these effects are presented. Four basic dimensions of explosive forming -- mass, length, time, and temperature -- together with 22 variables and their interdependence are formulated. An analysis of material properties, formability limits, and limiting parameters of materials used in these tests is given. Various methods of explosive forming such as plug cushion concept, carriage free forming, and sandwiching are described and other process controls, as well as development of specific production equipment, are outlined.