Panel extraction assist for superplastic and quick plastic forming equipment

A method of plastically forming metal sheets of metal alloy into formed parts using superplastic forming equipment having multiple components including a profiling die having a mass greater than that of the individual sheets being formed and having a profiling surface for profiling the sheets into a predetermined shape comprising the steps of:

• mounting a sheet on the profiling surface of the die, moving a second component of the equipment into a profiling position onto the sheet, employing pressurized air to stretch the sheet so that it forms on the profile of the profiling die, relatively moving the components to separate the second component from the profiling die, injecting a cooling gas through the profiling die and into the interface between the formed sheet and the profiling die to provide a pneumatic parting force urging the formed sheet away from the profiling surface and to effect the cooling of the formed sheet at a rate higher than the cooling rate of the profiling die so that said formed sheet will contract at a rate greater than the rate of the profiling die and part from the profiling surface thereof.

A method of plastically forming sheets of metal alloy into formed parts using superplastic forming equipment having a plurality of forming components including a metallic profiling die having a mass greater than the mass of each of the sheets, said profiling die having a profiling surface for profiling the sheets into a predetermined shape comprising the steps of:

• mounting a sheet on the profiling surface, heating the sheet and moving a second component of the equipment into a profiling position and into operative engagement with said sheet, employing pressurized air to stretch the sheet into a predetermined shape as determined by the profile of said die, moving the second component away from the profiling position, cooling the sheet relative to the profiling die to effect the shrinkage of the profiled sheet relative to the profiling die to effect parting of said sheet from said profiling die.

A profiling die set for plastically forming metal parts having first tooling with peripheral walls providing continuous air seal and defining a pressure chamber, a gas supply and controls for conducting pressurized gas to and from the chamber, said die set further including profiling die that cooperates with the pressure chamber to define a support and forming station for a blank of metallic and plastically-formable sheet material, providing a series of air conducting passages through the profiling die terminating at the profiling surface thereof, said gas supply and controls further having construction for feeding air to said passages and thereby distributing pressurized air to the interface between the blank and the forming tool to effect the cooling of the formed blank and the contraction thereof relative to the forming tooling so that it breaks away from the forming tooling to enhance removal of the formed part.

A metal profiling die capable of being heated to a level to plastically form a relatively thin sheet of plastically-formable metal material into a formed part, said die having a plurality of air conducting passages extending therethrough terminating in air distribution orifices in the forming surface thereof to effect air cooling of the formed part and to pneumatically urge the part from the forming surface of the heated die.