Electrohydraulic forming tool and method of forming sheet metal blank with the same
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsSergey Fedorovich Golovashchenko, Alan John Gillard, Douglas Piccard, Andrey M. Ilinich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrohydraulic forming (EHF) tool and a method of forming a sheet metal blank in an EHF operation. The tool may include a pair of electrodes and may be filled with a liquid. A high voltage discharge may be produced between the electrodes in a manner that induces a shockwave within the fluid. The shockwave may produce sufficient force within the liquid to form the blank against a die.
Claims20
An electrohydraulic forming (EHF) method for forming a sheet metal blank in a EHF tool that has (1) a vessel defining a vessel cavity having an opening on an upper end, (2) at least two electrodes disposed within the vessel cavity, (3) a binder disposed above the opening in the vessel, the binder holding a bottom side of the blank, wherein a binder cavity is defined by the blank, the binder, and the upper end of the vessel, and (4) a forming die disposed above the binder, the forming die holding a top side of the blank, the forming die having a die cavity that is partially defined by a forming surface, the method comprising:
- filling the vessel cavity at least up to the upper end with a liquid;
- evacuating air from the binder and die cavities;
- producing a high voltage discharge between the electrodes that induces a shockwave in the liquid, the shockwave forming the blank against the forming surface in the die cavity.
An electrohydraulic forming (EHF) tool for forming a sheet metal blank comprising:
- a vessel defining a vessel cavity having an opening on an upper end;
- at least two electrodes disposed within the vessel cavity;
- a binder disposed above the opening in the vessel, the binder holding a bottom side of the blank, wherein a binder cavity is defined by the blank, the binder, and the upper end of the vessel;
- a forming die disposed above the binder, the forming die holding a top side of the blank, the forming die having a die cavity that is partially defined by a forming surface;
- a liquid source operatively connect to the vessel that fills the vessel and binder cavities with liquid;
- and
- a high voltage source operatively connected to the two electrodes that selectively provides a high voltage discharge to the electrodes, wherein the high voltage discharge produces a shockwave in the liquid that forms the blank against the forming surface in the die cavity.
An electrohydraulic forming (EHF) method for forming a blank with a tool having a vessel being filled with a liquid and forming die, the method comprising:
- pre-forming the blank against the die with pressure generated from the liquid-filled vessel;
- bleeding pressure from the tool;
- and
- creating a shockwave within the liquid to generate a force to form the blank against the die.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.