Method for Manufacturing Thin-Walled Metal Component by Three-Dimensional Printing and Hot Gas Bulging

A method for manufacturing a thin-walled metal component by three-dimensional (3D) printing and hot gas bulging, comprising the following steps:

• step 1, designing a preform:
• analyzing a characteristic of a large-sized thin-walled component to determine a shape of a desired thin-walled preform;
• step 2, printing the preform:
• preparing the desired thin-walled preform by 3D printing;
• step 3, heating a die:
• heating a hot gas bulging die to a set temperature;
• step 4, placing the preform and closing the die:
• placing the pretreated preform into the bulging die, and closing the die;
• step 5, filling a gas for bulging:
• filling a high-pressure gas into the preform or onto a surface of the preform to bulge the preform into a desired component;
• step 6, holding the temperature and pressure:
• keeping the die closed, and allowing the formed component to stand under high temperature and high pressure for a period of time;
• step 7, exhausting and cooling down:
• exhausting the gas inside or on the surface of the component to a set pressure, and cooling the die to a set temperature;
• and
• step 8, opening the die and taking the component out:
• opening the die, and taking the formed component out.