Method of making diffusion bonded/superplastically formed cellular structures with a metal matrix composite
AssigneeBritish Aerospace Public Limited Company
InventorsStephen H. Johnston, Duncan R. Finch, Brian Ginty
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Abstract
This invention relates to a process of forming components having selectively thickened regions from superplastically formable and diffusion bondable materials. The said selected thickening is achieved by positioning metal matrix composite plies between the interior surface of each of the formed skin sheets of the component and the sheets which will form the internal cells, superplastically forming the cells, and then diffusion bonding the component to form a metallurgically bonded structure.
Claims6
A method of manufacturing a component having an external shape from at least three sheets of material, each of said sheets is a superplastically formable sheet, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming two of said sheets superplastically to said external shape of said component;
- attaching at least one ply of metal matrix composite (MMC) to an inner surface of at least one of said two formed sheets;
- positioning the third of said at least three sheets between the two formed sheets with said formed sheets enclosing a space;
- a first step of diffusion bonding said third sheet to selected areas of said two formed sheets;
- superplastically forming the third sheet to form an internal shape bounded by inner surfaces of said two formed sheets and said at least one ply of MMC;
- and
- a second step of diffusion bonding said third sheet to at least part of said at least one ply of MMC.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.