FluidForming Metal Forming For Public Transportation

Each year, the mass transit, public transportation, and commercial transportation industries develop, refine, and manufacture many millions of parts. To meet demanding transportation industry safety regulations, these components must be durable, reliable, highly functional, and performance-driven. They also need to be cost-effective.

FluidForming, an enabling technology, is a revolutionary approach to traditional hydroforming. The process allows for rapid prototyping and the forming of highly dependable parts. Our cutting-edge process has formed metal components for transportation industry leaders like BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz.

Whether your facility is prototyping body panels or manufacturing protective EV battery enclosures, FluidForming’s FormBalancer metal forming machines have you covered. Our universal sheet metal and tube forming machines are force-contained structures that permit extremely high forming pressures of up to 4,000 bar (60,000 psi).

With up to 4x the pressure used by traditional hydroforming devices, high-performing commercial and public transportation vehicles parts can be formed with ease. Parts once manufactured with inferior — and environmentally harmful — plastics can now be formed with lightweight metal alloys. FluidForming is capable of forming metal from 1.01mm to 5 mm in thickness.

Some parts that are commonly formed for the commercial and public transportation industry include protective enclosures for commuter trains, ticket dispensers, body panels, seats, engine cradles, exhaust systems, suspension components, and water-cooled battery enclosures for hybrid buses.

FluidForming’s innovative approach to hydroforming offers many potential benefits for the transportation and mass transit industries.

Parts produced using the FluidForming technology are lightweight and durable. Parts that last longer cost less over time. Our lightweight components also help reduce emissions by improving fuel economy and vehicle performance. FluidForming can help make cities cleaner and improve air quality.

Not only that, but FluidForming is an inherently green metal forming process.

Transportation designers and engineers appreciate the increased design flexibility that our fast prototyping capabilities enable. FluidForming Americas offers finite element analysis (FEA), so vehicle designers can innovate and iterate seamlessly.

FluidForming technology is ideal for rapid prototyping and low- to medium volume production with the ability to mass-produce.