Method and apparatus for forming a heat-treated material
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMarc R. Matsen, Mark A. Negley
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Abstract
Described herein is a method of forming a heat-treated material includes positioning the heat-treated material between first and second susceptors. Each of the first and second susceptors includes a tool face shaped according to a desired shape of the heat-treated material. The method also includes applying a low-strength magnetic field to the first and second susceptors to heat the first and second susceptors. Further, the method includes compressing the heat-treated material between the first and second susceptors to form the heat-treated material into the desired shape. The method additionally includes applying a high-strength magnetic field to the heat-treated material before compressing the heat-treated material between the first and second susceptors.
Claims20
A method of forming a heat-treated material, comprising:
- positioning the heat-treated material between first and second susceptors, each of the first and second susceptors comprising a tool face shaped according to a desired shape of the heat-treated material;
- applying a first magnetic field from a plurality of electromagnetic coils to the first and second susceptors to heat the first and second susceptors, wherein the first magnetic field is an oscillating magnetic field;
- compressing the heat-treated material between the first and second susceptors to form the heat-treated material into the desired shape;
- and
- after applying the first magnetic field from the plurality of electromagnetic coils to the first and second susceptors, applying a second magnetic field from the plurality of electromagnetic coils to the heat-treated material before compressing the heat-treated material between the first and second susceptors, wherein the second magnetic field is a non-oscillating magnetic field and has a peak magnetic flux greater than that of the first magnetic field;
- wherein the second magnetic field alters deformation properties of the heat-treated material without changing a phase of the heat-treated material.
A method of forming a material, comprising:
- heat treating the material to form a heat-treated material;
- positioning the heat-treated material between first and second susceptors, each of the first and second susceptors comprising a tool face shaped according to a desired shape of the heat-treated material;
- applying a first magnetic field from a plurality of electromagnetic coils to the first and second susceptors to heat the first and second susceptors, wherein the first magnetic field is an oscillating magnetic field;
- compressing the heat-treated material between the first and second susceptors to form the heat-treated material into the desired shape;
- and
- after applying the first magnetic field from the plurality of electromagnetic coils to the first and second susceptors, applying a second magnetic field from the plurality of electromagnetic coils to the heat-treated material before compressing the heat-treated material between the first and second susceptors, wherein the second magnetic field is a non-oscillating magnetic field and has a peak magnetic flux greater than that of the first magnetic field,
- wherein heat treating the material comprises:
- raising a temperature of the material from an ambient temperature to a transformation temperature to affect a desired allotropic transformation of the material;
- and
- decreasing the temperature of the material from the transformation temperature to the ambient temperature to maintain the desired allotropic transformation in the material at the ambient temperature;
- and
- wherein the second magnetic field alters deformation properties of the heat-treated material without changing the desired allotropic transformation in the material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.