Heater for superplastic forming of metals
AssigneeMurdock, Inc.
InventorPeter N. Comley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A superplastic forming machine having ceramic platens which are oriented to each other with heating elements of each platen arranged at a substantially right angle relationship to the heating elements of the other platen. The heating elements are formed as wires in rectangular sections which overlie each other to permit the increased preferable heating of the areas of greatest heat loss, such as the corners and the periphery of a superplastic metal forming heated platen.
Claims17
A superplastic forming machine comprising a press with platens in the press in overlying relationship and a mold for superplastic forming therein wherein the platens comprise:
- a first platen made of ceramic material having a first plurality of heater wires passing through said ceramic material connected to a source of electrical energy for heating said wires wherein said wires pass predominantly in number in a given direction through the first platen;
- and,
- a second platen formed of ceramic material having a second plurality of heater wires passing therethrough which are connected to a source of electrical energy for heating said second platen wherein said second plurality of wires in said second platen are at a substantially right angle relationship to the wires of said first platen so as to heat areas at two opposite edge regions of each platen with wires extending along the side portions thereby heating the opposed side portions in a variable manner with respect to each platen.
A superplastic forming machine for superplastic formation of sheets of superplastic formable metal comprising:
- a first ceramic platen adapted to be held within a press;
- a second ceramic platen overlying said first platen adapted to be held within a press;
- a mold;
- means to maintain a sheet of metal within said mold;
- means for providing a negative pressure at one of the surfaces of said metal;
- heater wires extending through said respective first and second platens wherein said heater wires in one of said platens are at substantially a right angle to the heater wires of the other of said platens to form variably heated sections along the overlying edge regions of each respective platen with respect to the other;
- and,
- means for individually controlling the temperature of the sections of said platens so that said wires crossing each respective section can provide heat which is controlled for each section at a respectively desired temperature.
A superplastic forming machine for forming a superplastically formable metal sheet within a mold or die by means of a pressure differential wherein the improvement comprises:
- a first ceramic platen formed in rectangular sections of the first platen having heater wires extending from one side of each section to the other side which can be controlled as to each section with respect to another section independently as to heating;
- and,
- a second series of sections in a second platen formed of ceramic sections having heater wires in substantially right angular relationship to said first platen heater wires and wherein said second sections can be controlled independently whereby zones of heating can be increased at the corners with respect to the other sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.