[1] Inert gas pressure is applied on the superplastic sheet forcing it into a female die.
The major advantage of this process is that it can form large and complex workpieces in one operation.
Products can also be made larger to eliminate assemblies or reduce weight, which is critical in aerospace applications.
McDonnell Douglas utilized SPF design and production technology into the F-15 in the 1980s,[citation needed] while in Europe an example of application can be found in some Eurofighter Typhoon assemblies [2][3](e.g. engine bays panels, foreplanes, slats).
Cycle times vary from two minutes to two hours, therefore it is usually used in low volume production applications.