Patent ID: 9719150
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: B21D,C21D,C22C,C22F

Claim:
1. A method of forming a workpiece made of a naturally aging alloy to a final shape, the method comprising: providing an ISF machine having a coordinate system and a tool path corresponding to the final shape of the workpiece; performing an initial heat treatment on the workpiece; positioning the workpiece in the ISF machine in an initial workpiece orientation in the coordinate system of the ISF machine; with the workpiece in the initial workpiece orientation in the coordinate system of the ISF machine and the tool path of the ISF machine in an initial tool-path orientation in the coordinate system of the ISF machine, performing an initial forming operation on the workpiece using the ISF machine; performing a final heat treatment on the workpiece; repositioning the workpiece in the ISF machine in a final workpiece orientation in the coordinate system of the ISF machine; and with the workpiece in the final workpiece orientation in the coordinate system of the ISF machine and the tool path of the ISF machine in a final tool-path orientation in the coordinate system of the ISF machine, performing a final forming operation on the workpiece using the ISF machine to achieve the final shape of the workpiece.