Hydroforming of composite materials

A hydroforming apparatus for forming a blank with a fluid which is a liquid, comprising:

• a punch press comprising an upper shoe and a lower shoe with an opening therein which defines a cavity with a punch reciprocally located therein which is capable of traveling upward through the opening;
• a fluid chamber mounted on the upper shoe defining a cavity for providing pressurized fluid to the upper surface of the blank and having a downwardly facing blank mating surface;
• a blank support with an opening mounted on the lower shoe over the opening in the lower shoe and having an upwardly facing blank binding surface for holding the blank wherein the opening in the blank support enables the punch reciprocally located within the lower shoe to travel upward into the fluid chamber;
• the fluid chamber and blank support being adapted to receive and clamp the blank between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface, and the fluid chamber includes a passageway means for transmitting pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid means to the fluid chamber wherein the fluid forms the blank and a release means for removing the fluid;
• and
• heating means for heating the fluid to heat the blank during the forming.

A hydroforming apparatus for forming a blank with a fluid which is a liquid, the apparatus capable of being used in a press comprising:

• a fluid chamber mountable to a first shoe defining a cavity for providing pressurized fluid to an obverse surface of the blank and having a blank mating surface;
• a blank support mountable on a second shoe having a blank binding surface for holding a reverse surface of the blank with an opening therein which defines a cavity wherein a punch reciprocally located therein is capable of traveling through the opening into the fluid chamber;
• the fluid chamber and blank support being adapted to receive and clamp the blank between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface, and the fluid chamber includes a passageway means for transmitting pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid means to the fluid chamber wherein the fluid forms the blank and a release means for removing the fluid, and
• heating means for heating the blank during the forming.

A method for hydroforming a blank comprising:

• (a) providing an apparatus in a press comprising
• a fluid chamber mounted on a first shoe defining a cavity for providing pressurized fluid to an obverse surface of the blank and having a blank mating surface;
• a blank support mounted to a second shoe having a blank binding surface for holding a verse surface of the blank with an opening therein which defines a cavity with a punch reciprocally located therein which is capable of traveling through the opening into the fluid chamber;
• wherein the fluid chamber and blank support being adapted to receive and clamp the blank between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface, and the fluid chamber includes a passageway means for transmitting pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid means to the fluid chamber wherein the fluid forms the blank and a release means for removing the fluid;
• and
• heating means for heating the blank during the forming;
• (b) positioning a blank on the blank support between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface;
• (c) forming a seal between the blank and the fluid chamber and the punch cavity by moving the fluid chamber toward the punch chamber until the blank is firmly clamped between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface with heating of the blank by the heating means;
• (d) providing a fluid to the fluid chamber under a pressure sufficient to conform the blank to the shape of the punch as the punch moves into the cavity of the fluid chamber;
• (e) moving the punch into the cavity of the fluid chamber to form the blank to the shape of the punch;
• (f) removing the fluid through the release means;
• (g) withdrawing the punch into the punch cavity;
• and
• (h) removing a formed blank from the apparatus.

A hydroforming apparatus for forming a composite blank, comprising:

• a fluid chamber mountable to a first shoe defining a cavity for providing pressurized fluid to an obverse surface of the blank and having a blank mating surface;
• a blank support mounted to a second shoe having a blank binding surface for holding a reverse surface of the blank with an opening therein which defines a cavity wherein a punch reciprocally located therein is capable of traveling through the opening into the fluid chamber;
• heating means for heating the blank during the forming;
• a recycle means to introduce heated or cooled fluid into the fluid chamber to cure the composite blank which has been formed;
• and
• the fluid chamber and blank support being adapted to receive and clamp a flexible blank between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface, and the fluid chamber includes a passageway means for transmitting pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid means to the fluid chamber wherein the fluid forms the blank and a release means for removing the fluid.

A method for hydroforming a flexible composite blank comprising:

• (a) providing an apparatus mounted in a conventional press comprising
• a fluid chamber mounted on a first shoe defining a cavity for providing pressurized fluid to an obverse surface of the blank and having a blank mating surface;
• a blank support mounted to a second shoe having a blank binding surface for holding a verse surface of the blank with an opening therein which defines a cavity with a punch reciprocally located therein which is capable of traveling through the opening into the fluid chamber;
• and
• wherein the fluid chamber and blank support being adapted to receive and clamp the blank between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface, and the fluid chamber includes a passageway means for transmitting pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid means to the fluid chamber wherein the fluid forms the blank and a release means for removing the fluid;
• (b) positioning a blank on the blank support between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface;
• (c) forming a seal between the blank and the fluid chamber and the punch cavity by moving the fluid chamber toward the punch chamber until the blank is firmly clamped between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface;
• (d) providing a fluid to the fluid chamber under a pressure sufficient to conform the blank to the shape of the punch as the punch moves into the cavity of the fluid chamber;
• (e) moving the punch into the cavity of the fluid chamber to form the blank to the shape of the punch;
• (f) removing the fluid through the release means;
• (g) withdrawing the punch into the punch cavity;
• (h) providing heated or cooled fluid to the fluid chamber through a recycle means to cure the composite comprising the blank;
• and
• (i) removing a formed blank from the apparatus.

A hydroforming apparatus for forming a blank with a fluid which is a liquid comprising:

• a first shoe defining a first cavity and having a blank mating surface;
• a blank support on a second shoe having a blank binding surface for holding the blank with an opening therein which defines a second cavity for providing a fluid in the cavity wherein a punch reciprocally located in the second cavity with the fluid is capable of traveling through the opening into the cavity in the first shoe;
• and
• the first shoe and blank support being adapted to receive and clamp the blank between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface, and the second cavity includes a passageway means for transmitting the fluid under pressure from a pressurized fluid means to the second cavity wherein the fluid contacts the blank and a release means for removing the fluid.

A hydroforming apparatus for forming a blank with a fluid which is a liquid, the apparatus capable of being used in a press comprising:

• a first fluid chamber mountable to a first shoe defining a first cavity for providing pressurized fluid to an obverse surface of the blank and having a blank mating surface;
• a blank support mountable on a second shoe having a blank binding surface for holding a reverse surface of the blank with an opening therein which defines a second cavity as a second fluid chamber and wherein a punch reciprocally located therein is capable of traveling through the opening into the first fluid chamber;
• and
• the first fluid chamber and blank support being adapted to receive and clamp the blank between the blank mating surface and the blank binding surface, and the first and second fluid chambers include a passageway means for transmitting pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid means to the fluid chamber wherein the fluid forms the blank and a release means for removing the fluid.