Audi R8

Aluminum Raw Material, Hydroforming Sheet.

Alcoa is Audi's original partner in aluminium car technology and one of Audi's many suppliers
of aluminium body panels.

Pure Aluminum Ingot, called pigs.

Other metals like Magnesium and Silicon go into the mix. The fiery liquid becomes an alloy specially reserved for automotive panels.

Fluxing. Bring impurities in the aluminium to the surface.

The liquid aluminium poured into the mold.

Head to a Hot Rolling line

Spooling.

Hydro-forming uses the high pressure liquid to change the shape of the metal. The hydraulic piston injected a fluid with explosive pressure on the aluminium sheet. This causes the metal to expand into the shape of the mold.The hydro-forming process is like you blow up the profile like a balloon with a pressure of up to several thousand bars. You press it into a die, and then you can get a very accurate profile.

Compare to:

1. Stamping. Refer to Camaro. Stamping the car panels.
2. Hydro-Forming looks the Blow Molding  which used for manufacturing the bottle.
3. Hydro-Forming : Liquid = Blow Molding : Gas
4. Hydro-Forming : Metal = Blow Molding : Plastic.
   Can we use gas to form or shape the metal ?
   Yes, Superplastic Forming or Hot Metal Gas Forming.