Titanium Plate Vacuum Forming With Low-Cost Staged Tooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for forming large titanium parts are costly due to expensive die tooling and require thick titanium plates, along with multiple machining and stress relief operations, which increase time and expense.
Innovation Solution
A method involving forming bends in a titanium plate using a press brake, followed by roll-forming to create contours, rough-machining, securing to a bladed form fixture, vacuum stress relieving, and final machining, allowing for the use of thinner plates and reducing tooling costs and machining-induced stresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If matched die tooling is used to form large titanium parts, then forming precision is improved, but tooling cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the forming process into multiple stages: initial bending, roll-forming to create contours, and final forming in the vacuum press. This segmentation allows the use of simpler, less expensive tooling for each stage rather than requiring a single complex matched die set, thereby reducing tooling cost while maintaining overall forming precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary forming operations (bending and roll-forming) before the final vacuum pressing operation. These preliminary actions prepare the titanium plate in a way that reduces the complexity and cost of the final forming operation, allowing the use of less expensive tooling while still achieving the required precision
2Strength
If thick titanium plates are used to form large parts, then part strength is improved, but material cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of titanium through controlled heating in a vacuum environment. By heating the titanium plate to specific temperatures and maintaining it in a vacuum, the material becomes more formable and can be formed from thinner gauges while achieving the required strength in the final cooled and hardened part
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple machining operations are performed to avoid stress-induced distortion, then manufacturing precision is improved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs stress relief heating as a preliminary action before final machining operations. This preliminary stress relief treatment reduces the need for subsequent stress relief operations after machining, thereby reducing total production time while maintaining distortion control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into the vacuum heating process: it serves as both a stress relief treatment and a preparatory forming operation. By merging these functions into a single vacuum heating cycle, the process eliminates the need for separate stress relief operations, reducing production time while maintaining manufacturing precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the cost-effective formation of large titanium parts from thin plates with reduced machining and stress relief operations, minimizing distortion and tooling expenses while maintaining part quality.
Implementation Method 1
The fixture part is placed in a thermal vacuum furnace and a stress-relieving operation is performed
Implementation Method 2
vacuum stress relieving
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4a~5
AI summary
A method for forming large titanium parts includes forming bends into a titanium plate for form a bent part. The bent part is then roll-formed to form contours into the bent part. The surfaces of the contoured part are rough-machined, and the part is then secured to a bladed form fixture. The bladed form fixture comprises a plurality of header boards that secure the part to the fixture. The fixture part is placed in a thermal vacuum furnace and a stress-relieving operation is performed. The part is removed from the fixture and final machining takes place.