Back to results
US 6,810,709 B2Granted
Heated metal forming tool
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsRichard Harry Hammar, James Gregory Schroth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heated metal forming tool including an un-heated mounting plate that is attached to a press. A tool detail is attached to the mounting plate. Insulation surrounds the tool detail to thermally isolate it from the mounting plate, and from the tool surroundings. The tool detail is heated internally by heaters disposed in zones within the tool detail. The temperature of various portions of the tool detail can be independently controlled by varying the temperature within any of the zones.
Claims20
A heated metal forming tool comprising:
- a mounting plate attached to a press;
- a tool detail attached to the mounting plate, the tool detail comprising a thermally conductive metal body with a forming surface for a sheet metal workpiece at a superplastic forming temperature for said workpiece, the tool detail having insulation associated therewith and being thermally insulated from said mounting plate;
- said body and forming surface of the tool detail being heated by a plurality of heaters disposed in zones within said body wherein a temperature of various portions of the tool detail may be independently controlled, said heaters being the sole heating source for said tool detail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.