Workpiece forming

A method of forming a workpiece (18) comprises: holding the workpiece adjacent a mould (20); using a laser (30) to heat at least a part of the workpiece to a temperature sufficient induce superplasticity; and applying a fluid pressure to the workpiece, so that it takes the shape of the mould. This h...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser:	JOCELYN ALAN, FLOWER TERRY, ACKERMAN MICHAEL COLIN, WAY JEROME, KAR ARAVINDA, KEEVIL ALLAN, NASH DOUGLAS
Format:	Patent
Sprache:	eng
Schlagworte:	AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING MACHINE TOOLS MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVINGMATERIAL METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR PERFORMING OPERATIONS PUNCHING METAL SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING TRANSPORTING WELDING WORKING BY LASER BEAM WORKING OF PLASTICS WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS ORPROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:	A method of forming a workpiece (18) comprises: holding the workpiece adjacent a mould (20); using a laser (30) to heat at least a part of the workpiece to a temperature sufficient induce superplasticity; and applying a fluid pressure to the workpiece, so that it takes the shape of the mould. This has the advantage that the superplastic properties of the material can be used to form the workpiece precisely to the required shape, without needing to heat all of the processing chamber to the superplastic temperature. Before using the laser to heat the workpiece to its superplastic temperature, the laser can be used to heat the whole of the workpiece to a substantially uniform temperature to anneal it. Similarly, after using the laser to superplastically form the workpiece, the laser is used to heat the whole of the workpiece to a substantially uniform temperature to remove any residual stresses. This has the advantage that the whole of the forming can be carried out as a single process, in a single processing apparatus.