Fluid cell forming is excellent for large part metal forming. Fluid cell forming works a bit differently than hydroforming. With fluid cell forming, there’s no punch driving up into the material–it only has oil pressure pushing down. The material is set on top of a static tool, and the oil pressure will push the material down into the cavity. Think of it like a balloon with water in it–the balloon just comes down and starts filling anywhere where there’s a crack, wraps itself around, and then, when you take the pressure off, the balloon lets go. At Jones Metal, our team has extensive experience in fluid cell forming for various industries.
Why Choose Jones Metal for Large Part Metal Forming With Fluid Cell
- We can form parts up to 72 inches (6 feet) long, 27 inches wide, and 6 inches deep
- Our press has two trays–while one tray comes out for unloading and reloading, the other one can be going in
- Multiple tools can be fitted into each forming tray for enhanced production efficiency
- For aerospace and defense, we use what’s called form block work for simple frame parts
- Our oversized metal forming capabilities let us handle projects that others can’t touch
- Over 100 years of metal forming experience to ensure consistent, exceptional results
“With fluid cell forming, we can quadruple our output by using multiple tools in the tray. What starts as 10 parts per hour becomes 40 parts per hour, and with our two-tray system, we can maximize efficiency even further.” –Dan Erb, Owner
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5-Step Process for Getting Started With Fluid Cell Forming
Jones Metal follows a thorough, five-step process to ensure the success of every fluid cell forming project. This comprehensive approach allows us to transform your ideas and specifications into custom-formed metal parts efficiently and with the highest quality.
Contact us with your project requirements
Provide prints and CAD models for review
We’ll look at whether we can use plastic tooling to save you money
We review material specs and requirements
We provide detailed quotes and timeline estimates
Process for Success
We evaluate each part’s geometry to determine optimal tooling–plastic for generous radiuses, steel for tighter requirements
For parts needing sharp corners, we can use a two-step process: initial forming followed by coining operations
Our quality team assesses each project for opportunities to combine operations, like incorporating trimming during forming
We optimize tray layouts to maximize efficiency, often running multiple different parts simultaneously
Experience with aerospace and defense work means we understand critical tolerances and documentation requirements
What Makes Our Fluid Cell Forming Services Unique
- We can do negative angles, which you cannot do in straight hydroforming or stamping
- Our fluid cell forming is perfect for long and narrow parts that other equipment can’t handle
- If you’re doing simple frame parts, you can use plastic tooling and save a lot of money
- You can trim the part right in the form–there’s a cutting edge that can be put into the tool
- With hydroforming, the largest blank we can start with is 32 inches in diameter–fluid cell can go up to 6 feet
Plastic Tooling Metal Forming Advantages
With fluid cell forming, you can use phenolic, which is a plastic material for tooling. Your costs are a third of what they would be for tool steel, and it machines in half the time. A die to make a six-foot part might cost $100,000 to $150,000. With plastic tooling, you could make it with a form block and only spend $15,000. If you just need 100 parts, you’re going to spend $15,000–you’re not going to pay $150,000 for a die to do the same thing.
Case Study: Aerospace Success
We work with a lot of companies in aerospace because they need someone who can handle really specific, complex parts. One great example is when we worked with a major aircraft manufacturer who came to us with parts that nobody else could figure out. They needed someone who could do fluid cell forming plus other manufacturing processes. Most shops can only do one or the other, but having both capabilities under one roof means Jones Metal can take on the full package. When you’re building airplanes, you might only need a few of each model–that’s where fluid cell forming really shines. While the parts may cost more per piece, the tooling can be significantly cheaper. The best part? You get better parts faster and don’t have to juggle multiple suppliers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The real advantage of fluid cell forming is being able to form much larger parts. If there’s something that won’t fit on the hydroform, that’s where fluid cell comes in. It’s becoming more and more popular, especially for companies that need low-volume orders.
We currently can form parts up to 6 feet long, 27 inches wide, and 6 inches deep in our forming tray.
Plastic tooling is about a third of the cost of steel tooling and machines in half the time. For something like simple frame parts, there’s no reason to spend the extra money on steel tools.
With our two-tray system and multiple tools in each tray, we can get 80 pieces an hour when using multiple tools running at the same time in both trays.
Aerospace loves fluid cell forming because their volumes are often low–they might only build 100-200 of each model. Defense also uses fluid cell for longer, more narrow parts, such as missiles.
The choice depends on your part’s size and complexity. If your part is under 32 inches, hydroforming might be your best option, as it allows for deeper draws and sharper radiuses. For parts longer than 32 inches, or when you need negative angles, fluid cell forming is the way to go. It’s particularly effective for long, narrow parts and when you want to run multiple parts simultaneously.