US 5,099,573 AGranted

Method of making hollow articles

AssigneeCompressor Components Textron Inc.

InventorsTony M. Krauss, Craig R. Boyer, Donald J. Moracz

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Abstract

A method of making a hollow article, for example, a hollow airfoil, from first and second preformed sections involves a first precursor (seal) bonding step where a low external pressure and internal vacuum are utilized to form a substantially gas impermeable seal bond between opposing bonding surfaces of the sections with only limited distortion of one of the sections and no distortion of the other section, a diffusion bonding step where a high external and high internal pressure is utilized to form a complete parent metal diffusion bond between the bonding surfaces without distortion of either section and an inflation step where a high external and high internal pressure are utilized to remove the limited distortion from the affected section without distortion of the unaffected section. The inflation step and diffusion bonding step can be combined into one operation to provide a two step method of making the hollow article.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of making a hollow article from first and second preformed sections, each preformed section having spaced apart bonding surfaces and a wall intermediate the bonding surfaces, comprising the steps of:

(a) assembling the first and second preformed sections in such a manner that the bonding surfaces of the preformed sections are opposing and the intermediate walls of the preformed sections define a cavity therebetween,
(b) subjecting the assembled preformed sections to pressure-temperature-time conditions where a first external pressure is so applied to the first preformed section with the cavity evacuated as to form a substantially fluid impermeable seal bond between the bonding surfaces,
(c) subjecting the preformed sections to pressure-temperature-time conditions where a second external pressure greater than the first external pressure is so applied to the first preformed section and an internal pressure of substantially the same magnitude as said second external pressure is so applied to the cavity as to diffusion bond the bonding surfaces, and
(d) subjecting the preformed sections to pressure-temperature-time conditions where an internal pressure is so applied to the cavity with the intermediate wall of the first preformed section positioned relative to a rigid external shaping surface as to shape the intermediate wall to the shaping surface to remove any inward distortion of the intermediate wall resulting from step (b).

1 more element

(a) assembling the first and second preformed sections in such a manner that the bonding surfaces of the preformed sections are opposing and the intermediate walls of the sections define a cavity therebetween,
(b) subjecting the assembled preformed sections to pressure-temperature-time conditions where a first external pressure is so applied to the first preformed section with the cavity evacuated so as to form a substantially fluid impermeable seal bond between the bonding surfaces, and
(c) subjecting the preformed sections to pressure-temperature-time conditions where an external pressure of greater magnitude than the first external pressure is applied to the second preformed section and an internal pressure of substantially the same magnitude as the second external pressure is applied to the cavity while the intermediate wall of the first preformed section is positioned relative to a rigid external shaping surface such that the intermediate wall of said first preformed section is shaped to said shaping surface to remove any inward distortion thereof resulting from step (b) and such that the bonding surfaces are diffusion bonded.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.