Patent ID: 6675621
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: B21D,Y10T

Abstract:
Forming die equipment for the simultaneous superplastic forming of pairs of metallic blanks having forward end portions and overlaid with respect to one another to have a common interface into a plurality of separate and discrete parts of predetermined shapes, said die equipment comprising separate upper and lower forming dies, a mechanism including carrier plates for said dies and an associated motor for relatively moving said dies between an open position for loading one of said pairs of blanks therebetween and a closed position for the partial mechanically-loaded loaded perimeter sealing of said blanks at said interface thereby establishing a temporary pneumatic perimeter seal defining a major portion of a gas space within said interface, a support block fixed adjacent to said lower forming die, a pressure wedge having a gas passage therethrough and having a gas discharge port at the terminal end thereof, said pressure wedge being operatively mounted on said support block adjacent to said forming dies (and operatively mounted) for sliding movement thereon between an open position spaced from said forming dies and a closed position with respect to said forming dies and operatively between said forward end portions of said blanks to complete the perimeter seal and thereby the full encirclement and temporary pneumatic sealing of the gas space of said interface and to position said discharge port within said gas space so that pressurized gas can be subsequently injected therein to simultaneously stretch said pair of blanks in opposite directions into said forming dies to thereby plastically form said separate and discrete parts.