In order to meet the requirements of high reliability, long-lifetime and lightweight in a new generation of aerospace, aviation, high-speed train, and energy power equipment, integrated components are urgently needed to replace traditional multi-piece, welded components. The applications of integrated components involve in a series of large-size, complex-shaped, high-performance components made of difficult-to-deform materials, which present a huge challenge for forming ultra-large size integrated components. In this paper, the developments and perspectives of several extreme forming technologies are reviewed, including the sheet hydroforming of ultra-large curved components, dieless hydroforming of ellipsoidal shells, radial-axial ring rolling of rings, in situ manufacturing process of flanges, and local isothermal forging of titanium alloy components. The principle and processes for controlling deformation are briefly illustrated. The forming of typical ultra-large size integrated components and industrial applications are introduced, such as the high strength aluminum alloy, 3 m in diameter, integrated tank dome first formed by using a sheet blank with a thickness the same as the final component, and a 16 m diameter, integrated steel ring rolled by using a single billet. The trends for extreme forming of ultra-large size integrated components are discussed with a goal of providing ideas and fundamental guidance for the further development of new forming processes for extreme-size integrated components in the future.

Integral thin shells made of high strength aluminum alloys are urgently needed in new generation transportation equipment. There are challenges to overcoming the co-existing problems of wrinkling and splitting by the cold forming and hot forming processes. An innovative technology of ultra-low temperature forming has been invented for aluminum alloy thin shells by the new phenomenon of ‘dual enhancement effect’. That means plasticity and hardening are enhanced simultaneously at ultra-low temperatures. In this perspective, the dual enhancement effect is described, and the development, current state and prospects of this new forming method are introduced. This innovative method can provide a new approach for integral aluminum alloy components with large size, ultra-thin thickness, and high strength. An integral tank dome of rocket with 2 m in diameter was formed by using a blank sheet with the same thickness as the final component, breaking through the limit value of thickness-diameter ratio.

The thin-walled curved-surface component is an important structural element in aerospace. Wrinkling, springback and thermal distortion occur easily when forming these components. To form thin-walled components with high precision and strength, a two-layer-sheet hot-forming–quenching integrated process was proposed, in which wrinkling is prevented by thickening the upper sheet and springback is reduced by solution and die quenching. Selecting an appropriate upper sheet is crucial to suppress wrinkling and accomplish effective die quenching. The effect of the upper sheet on the wrinkling and strengthening behaviors of an Al–Cu–Mg-alloy melon-petal shell was thus studied in detail. The anti-wrinkle mechanism was analyzed through numerical simulation. The forming quality, including forming precision, deformation uniformity and strength, were further evaluated. The wrinkle gradually decreased with the increasing thickness of the upper sheet, resulting from the depressed compressive stress at the edge of the target sheet. A defect-free specimen with a smooth surface was finally formed when the thickness of the upper sheet reached three times that of the target sheet. The profile deviation was ±0.5 mm. Excellent thickness uniformity in a specimen can be obtained with a maximum thinning rate of 6%. The full strength, ranging from 455 to 466 MPa, can be obtained in all regions of the specimen, indicating that effective strengthening can be accomplished with the two-layer-sheet die quenching. The results indicated that high forming quality and full strength can be obtained in a two-layer-sheet hot-forming–quenching integrated process. This research has great potential for engineering applications using aluminum-alloy curved-surface thin-walled components.