Patent ID: 11872650
Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
Field: Machine tools (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  H | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method for manufacturing a cold plate assembly, comprising:
providing a base plate including:
a first set of spaced outer sacrificial ribs on a first side and a first set of spaced internal ribs on a second side opposing the first side,
an inner perimeter wall having a lip defining a reception area for a perimeter edge of a cover plate,
a first plurality of spaced tabs on each said internal rib of the base plate, and
a first plurality of spaced slots through the base plate between adjacent pairs of the outer sacrificial and internal ribs;

providing a cover plate including:
a second set of spaced outer sacrificial ribs on a third side and a second set of spaced internal ribs on a fourth side opposing the third side,
a second plurality of spaced tabs on each said internal rib of the cover plate, and
a second plurality of spaced slots through the cover plate between adjacent pairs of the outer sacrificial and internal ribs,
wherein each said slot of the second plurality of slots is spaced so as to register with a corresponding tab of the first plurality of tabs, and
wherein each said slot of the first plurality of slots is spaced so as to register with a corresponding tab of the second plurality of tabs;

inserting each said tab of the first plurality of tabs into the corresponding slot of the second plurality of slots;
inserting each said tab of the second plurality of tabs into the corresponding slot of the first plurality of slots;
fitting the perimeter edge of the cover plate within the lip of the perimeter wall;
friction stir tack welding, with a partial penetration pin tool head, between the spaced outer sacrificial ribs of the first side and the third side, wherein said friction stir tack welding melds each said tab to a corresponding slot;
friction stir welding, with a full penetration friction stir welding pin tool head, with the perimeter edge of the cover plate within the lip of the perimeter wall, the perimeter edge of the cover plate to the base plate; and
removing, by a milling machine, the outer sacrificial ribs of the cover plate and the base plate.