Method for fabrication of honeycomb structures
AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorsC. Howard Hamilton, Leonard A. Ascani, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for fabrication of honeycomb metallic structures combining superplastic forming and metallurgical bonding wherein a face sheet is formed and bonded to another face sheet and a core to form the desired structure. A metal honeycomb core is positioned between the first and second metal face sheets. The first face sheet, which has superplastic characteristics, is brought to within a temperature range suitable for superplastic forming. A pressure loading is applied to the first face sheet causing it to deform against the core and second metal face sheet. The face sheets and core are maintained under coordinated temperature-pressure-time duration conditions to produce metallurgical bonding to one another to form the desired honeycomb structure.
Claims14
A method for making a honeycomb metallic structure in a single operation comprising the steps of:
- positioning a metal honeycomb core, a first metal blank, and a second metal blank within a hollow forming apparatus for the duration of the method, the first metal blank having superplastic characteristics, the first metal blank and the second metal blank each having opposed principal surfaces;
- positioning the core between the first metal blank and the second metal blank;
- bringing the first metal blank to within a temperature range suitable for superplastic forming of the first metal blank;
- applying a pressure loading across the principal surfaces of the first metal blank causing the first metal blank to deform superplastically against, and into intimate contact with, the core and the second metal blank;
- and
- maintaining the first metal blank, the second metal blank, and the core under coordinated temperature-pressure-time duration conditions sufficient to produce metallurgical bonding of the first metal blank, the second metal blank, and the core to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.