Method of making blanks and clad parts

Abstract

A composite blank is formed from an aluminum base blank and an aluminum brazing alloy clad material which is affixed to the base blank. Alternately, a multielement blank is formed by at least one base preform and at least one separate clad preform. The composite and multielement blanks are forged into required parts such that as the required parts are formed, the clad material forms an integral coating on the finished part in one or more positions which are to be clad. The composite blank may be formed by initially forming a base blank having one or more recesses on its surface into which clad material is inserted. Recesses can be formed in base blanks as slots during extrusion of the base blanks in a continuous form or otherwise. Clad material is then inserted into each slot on the continuous form with composite blanks being formed by cutting the resulting continuous form. Alternately, clad material can be extruded into each slot or the base blank and clad material can be co-extruded to fill each slot with clad material. A composite blank can also be formed by covering one or more continuous portions of the outer surface of a base blank with clad material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.