Patent Publication Number: US-9903656-B2

Title: Tooling for supporting metal parts during heat treatment

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to French Application No. 1252605, filed Mar. 23, 2012, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to support tooling used for supporting metal parts while subjecting those parts to heat treatments such as annealing, brazing, shaping, etc. 
     Heat treatments of parts made of metal material, such as titanium or other materials, are performed at high temperatures that may exceed 1000° C. By way of example, with parts made of titanium, it is common practice during fabrication to subject a part to a so-called “anneal” heat treatment at temperatures at which titanium becomes soft. Under such circumstances, the titanium part deforms (creeps) merely under the effect of gravity, and it remains deformed after it has cooled. The part may also twist during reductions of temperature as a result of internal stresses being released. 
     Thus, very heavy single-piece metal supports, e.g. made of refractory steel, are generally used for supporting a part during heat treatment. Nevertheless, the use of such supports presents several drawbacks. 
     Firstly, such supports are usually very bulky and heavy. Consequently they reduce the loading capacity of the oven used for the heat treatments, while also being difficult to handle. They also present significant thermal inertia, which leads to large amounts of energy consumption in order to raise the tooling to high temperature, and they require long periods of time for cooling, thereby reducing the productivity of the installation. In addition, such large thermal inertia puts a limit on the temperature gradients needed for obtaining the desired microstructure. That type of support also presents a coefficient of thermal expansion that is high, usually different from that of the material of the part being treated, thus limiting its use to parts having geometrical shapes that are simple and making it necessary to provide for large amounts of reshaping by machining of the parts in order to ensure they end up with their intended geometrical configuration. 
     Finally, that type of support deforms during heat treatments as a result of repeated thermal shocks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Consequently, an aspect of the present invention is to propose novel support tooling for supporting metal parts that are to be subjected to heat treatments, which tooling, in addition to being lighter in weight, more compact, and of smaller thermal inertia in the oven, also makes it possible to comply exactly with the geometrical configurations of the parts, be they very simple or very complex, and with this continuing to apply even if the parts move during temperature variations. Another aspect of the invention is to provide tooling that does not creep during heat treatments and that conserves its mechanical characteristics over time. 
     There also exists a need to have tooling that is capable of hot-shaping a part that was out of tolerance when cold. 
     To this end, the invention provides support tooling comprising:
         a stationary support structure presenting a determined shape that corresponds to the general shape of each metal part that is to be supported;   first holder elements arranged on one side of each part;   second holder elements arranged on the other side of each part; and   at least one spring type resilient element placed between the support structure and each first or second holder element so as to hold the part throughout the duration of heat treatment;       

     the support structure, the first and second holder elements, and the spring elements being made of thermostructural composite material, e.g. a carbon/carbon composite material or a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material. 
     The tooling of the invention holds a metal part resiliently in a housing that compiles with the intended final geometrical configuration of the part, thus enabling the part to be held accurately in its geometrical configuration during heat treatment, or to be shaped accurately into its geometrical configuration during heat treatment. The structure defining the housing, and also the elements of the support system, are all made of thermostructural composite material, i.e. of a material that has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is very small, so the tooling is subjected to very little deformation during temperature variations, and the spring elements present stiffness, and consequently they present a bearing force against the holder elements, that is practically constant regardless of temperature. 
     Because of the resilient holding force that is exerted on the part in almost uniform manner regardless of temperature, it is possible to shape the part during the heat treatment, and thus to correct deformations that have arisen during prior operations performed on the part, such as pre-machining, to as close as possible to the final design dimensions. The principle of the invention whereby the part is held resiliently in the tooling enables a relatively deformed part to be installed in the tooling, which part is initially (i.e. when cold) not in contact with all of the reference holder elements, but once its temperature has been raised, it is stressed by the spring elements and is therefore shaped to have the desired geometrical configuration. Such hot-shaping would be very difficult to implement using metal tooling. 
     Because of the thermostructural composite material used for making the component elements of the tooling of the invention, the tooling is much more compact and lighter in weight than the tooling made of the refractory steel that is conventionally used. The tooling of the invention thus makes it possible to increase the capacity of a given oven to be loaded with metal parts for treatment, thus making it possible to reduce the cost of such heat treatment. It also makes it possible to reduce the amount of manipulations and treatments needed for a given number of parts, thereby making it possible to reduce the cost of such heat treatments significantly. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the tooling comprises a plurality of pairs of jaws placed on either side of the metal part, each pair of jaws being slidably mounted on the support structure. The movements of the part during temperature rises or falls can thus be accompanied by the jaws without exerting stress on the part and while complying with its accurate geometrical configuration as defined by the support structure of the tooling. 
     For this purpose, each jaw is provided with at least one guide that co-operates with a slideway formed in the support structure. In an embodiment of the invention, the side walls of the support structure include at least one slideway for receiving a guide of one jaw of a jaw pair, spring elements being interposed between at least one jaw of each jaw pair and the side walls of the support structure. 
     The support structure may present a housing that includes at least a first portion extending in a first plane, and a second portion extending in a second plane forming an angle relative to the first plane. It is thus possible to hold and to shape a single part in a plurality of different planes that form angles relative to one another in one or more directions. 
     This configuration of the support tooling involving varying planes may also be obtained with a support structure presenting a housing that extends in a first plane and in which at least one portion is provided with angular wedges arranged between one or more pairs of jaws and the side walls of the support structure in such a manner that the portion of the housing that is present between the angular wedges extends in a second plane forming an angle with the first plane. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the tooling includes a plurality of spacer elements interposed between first and second metal parts and a plurality of jaws placed against the first metal part and a plurality of thrust plates placed against the second metal part, the spring elements being interposed between the jaws and the support structure. 
     In this embodiment, the spring elements may be connected to the jaws by first hinged connections to the support structure by second hinged connections, the spacer elements resting on carriages that are movable on the support structure, and the thrust plates being held against rollers secured to the support structure. In this way, all of the holder elements are suitable for moving with the metal parts relative to the stationary support structure and can thus accompany the movements of the parts during temperature variations. 
     The support structure, the first and second holder elements, and each spring type resilient element may be made of carbon/carbon composite material. 
     In an aspect of the invention, each resilient element presents predetermined stiffness when cold, thereby defining the holding force applied by the jaws on the part, with this being applicable over a large range of temperatures since the spring element is made of thermostructural composite material. 
     The invention also provides a heat treatment installation comprising an oven and one or more pieces of support tooling of the invention placed inside the oven. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention given as non-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective view of a heat treatment installation including support tooling in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of support tooling in an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic perspective view of the  FIG. 2  support tooling once assembled; 
         FIG. 4  is a section view of a portion of the  FIG. 3  support tooling, the section being marked IV-IV in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a portion of the  FIG. 3  support tooling; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are diagrammatic views of support tooling for supporting a part in a plurality of planes oriented in different directions in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic view of support tooling for supporting a part in a plurality of planes oriented in different directions in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  are detail views of portions of the  FIG. 7  support tooling; 
         FIG. 9  is a diagrammatic perspective view of support tooling in another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of the support tooling of  FIG. 9 ; and 
         FIG. 11  is a section view of the  FIG. 9  tooling. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT 
     The invention applies in general to tooling serving to support parts made of metal in a precise geometrical configuration during treatments that involve temperature rises such as annealing, quenching, tempering, age-hardening, shaping, hot-brazing, or any other treatment involving temperature variations. A particular but non-exclusive field of application of the invention is that of hot-shaping parts made of titanium or the like, which parts are of large dimensions and of shape that must be compiled with very accurately or corrected while hot (shaping parts out of cold tolerance). 
       FIG. 1  shows an installation  300  for heat treating parts made of metal and of shape that must be complied with accurately throughout the treatment. The installation  300  comprises an oven  200  and several pieces of support tooling  100  resting on a base  101 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , each piece of support tooling  100  comprises a support structure  110 . In the presently-described example, the structure  110  is constituted by a frame  111  made up of two stringers  1110  and  1111 , and of side walls  1120  to  1124  and  1140  to  1144  held above the frame  111  by uprights  114 . The space present between the side walls  1120  to  1124  on one side and the side walls  1140  to  1144  on the other form a housing  115  for a part  150  that is to be subjected to heat treatment. The shape of the housing  115  corresponds to the general shape of the metal part  150  for treating, specifically in this example a part that presents shape that is curved in its longitudinal direction. 
     The support tooling  100  also includes a plurality of jaw pairs, in this example jaw pairs  116  to  126 , the jaws  1161  to  1261  that are situated on one side of the part  150  corresponding to all or some of the first holder elements of the tooling of the invention, and the jaws  1162  to  1262  situated on the other side of the part corresponding to all or some of the second holder elements of the tooling of the invention. Each jaw pair, such as the pair  119  shown in  FIG. 4  is made up of two jaws  1191  and  1192  with the metal part  150  being held between them. For this purpose, the jaws of each pair, such as the jaws  1191  and  1192  of the pair  119  have respective inside faces  1191   a ,  1192   a  of shape that corresponds to the shape of the portion of the part that is to be held at this location of the tooling. 
     In order to maintain a holding force on the part in the tooling, spring type resilient elements are interposed at least between the outside face of one of the jaws in each jaw pair and the corresponding vertical wall. In the presently-described example, the resilient elements  130  and  134  are interposed respectively between the jaws  1161  to  1261  and the side walls  1140  to  1144 , it being possible for thrust plates (not shown) to be interposed between the spring elements and the jaws. Special tooling serving respectively to support the resilient elements  130  to  134  in maximum compression is then used when assembling the part and the jaws in the tooling, with the resilient elements  130  to  134  subsequently being released to exert a holding force on the jaws and on the part in the housing of the tooling. 
     Each of the resilient elements  130  to  134  is made up respectively of two spring blades  1301 / 1302 ,  1311 / 1312 ,  1321 / 1322 ,  1331 / 1332 , or  1341 / 1342  that exert a resilient holding force on each pair of jaws  116  to  126 , with this depending on the shape of the housing  115  that corresponds accurately to the shape to be complied with of the part. 
     Furthermore, the jaws  1161 / 1162  to  1261 / 1262  of the jaw pairs  116  to  126  are slidably mounted on the side walls. For this purpose, each jaw has a guide on its outside face, the guide being engaged in a slideway formed in the facing side wall of the jaw in question. In the presently-described example, the outside walls of the jaws  1161  to  1261  are provided with respective guides  1163  to  1263 , while the outside walls of the jaws  1162  to  1262  are provided respectively with guides  1164  to  1264 . The guides  1163  to  1263  are engaged respectively in slideways  1140   a ,  1140   b ,  1141   a ,  1142   b ,  1142   c ,  1142   a ,  1143   a ,  1143   b ,  1143   c ,  1144   a ,  1144   b  of the side walls  1140  to  1144 . Similarly, the guides  1164  to  1264  are respectively engaged in sideways  1120   a ,  1120   b ,  1121   a ,  1122   b ,  1122   c ,  1122   a ,  1123   a ,  1123   b ,  1123   c ,  1124   a ,  1124   b  of the side walls  1120  to  1124 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the jaw  1191  of the jaw pair  119  is held on the support structure  110  by means of the guide  1193  that is engaged in the slideway  1141   b  formed in the side wall  1141 . The slideway  1141   b  is in the form of an oblong hole in which the guide  1193  can move between a first position A corresponding to the position of the holder element when cold and a second position B corresponding to the position of the holder element  1191  when the metal part  150  expands during a temperature rise. The orientation of the oblong hole of the slideway  1131   b  and its position on the side wall  1131  that is oriented depending on the shape of the part in the longitudinal direction, here a curved shape, enable the support system constituted by the holder elements associated with the resilient elements to follow the movements of the part as it expands and/or contracts while ensuring that its shape is conserved in the support plane(s) defined by the housing in the support structure. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the elements constituting the support tooling of the present invention such as the support structure, the holder elements of each pair, and the resilient elements of spring type are made of a thermostructural composite material that presents a coefficient of thermal expansion that is low in comparison with metal materials such as steel. 
     The elements constituting the support tooling are preferably made of carbon/carbon (C/C) composite material, which in known manner is a material made up of carbon fiber reinforcement densified by a carbon matrix and which may optionally be provided with a covering such as for example a ceramic deposit (e.g. SiC). These elements may also be made of a carbon matrix composite (CMC) material, which is a material made up of carbon or ceramic fiber reinforcement densified by a matrix that is at least partially ceramic, such as the following CMC materials:
         carbon-carbon/silicon carbide (C/C—SiC) corresponding to a material made up of carbon fiber reinforcement and densified by a matrix having a carbon phase and a silicon carbide phase;   carbon/carbon silicon carbide (C/SiC), which is a material made up of carbon fiber reinforcement densified by a silicon carbide matrix; and   silicon carbide/silicon carbide (SiC/SiC) corresponding to a material made up of silicon carbide fiber reinforcement densified by a silicon carbide matrix.       

     The fabrication of composite material parts constituted by fiber reinforcement densified by a matrix is well known. It mainly comprises making a fiber structure, in this example made of carbon or ceramic fibers, shaping the structure to a shape that is close to the shape of the part to be fabricated (fiber preform), and densifying the preform with the matrix. 
     The fiber preform constitutes the reinforcement of the part and its role is essential in terms of mechanical properties. The preform is obtained from fiber textures of carbon or ceramic fibers. The fiber textures used may be of various kinds and forms, such as in particular:
         a two-dimensional (2D) woven fabric;   a three-dimensional (3D) woven fabric obtained by 3D weaving or by multiple layers;   a braid;   a knit;   a felt; or   a unidirectional (UD) sheet of yarns or tows or multidirectional sheets (nD) obtained by superposing a plurality of UD sheets in different directions and bonding the UD sheets together, e.g. by stitching, by a chemical bonding agent, or by needling.       

     It is also possible to use a fiber structure made up of a plurality of superposed layers of fabric, braid, knit, felt, sheets, tows, etc., which layers are connected together for example by stitching, by implanting yarns or rigid elements, or by needling. 
     Shaping is performed by weaving, stacking, needling two-dimensional/three-dimensional plies or sheets of tows, etc. 
     Therefore the fiber preform is densified in well-known manner using a liquid technique and/or a gaseous technique. 
     Densification using a liquid technique consists in impregnating the preform with a liquid composition containing a precursor of the matrix material. The precursor is usually in the form of a polymer, such as a resin, possibly diluted in a solvent. The precursor is transformed into carbon or ceramic by heat treatment, after eliminating the solvent, if any, and cross-linking the polymer. A plurality of successive impregnation cycles may be performed in order to reach the desired degree of densification. 
     By way of example, a carbon precursor resin may be a resin of phenolic type. 
     By way of example, a ceramic precursor resin may be a polycarbonsilane resin that is a precursor for silicon carbide (SiC), or a polysiloxane resin that is a precursor for SiCO, or a polyborocarbosilazane resin that is a precursor for SiCNB, or a polysilazane resin (SiCN). 
     The steps of impregnating and polymerizing the carbon precursor resin and/or the ceramic precursor resin may be repeated several times over, if necessary, in order to obtain determined mechanical characteristics. 
     It is also possible to densify the fiber preform in conventional manner by a gaseous technique by delivering the matrix by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). The fiber preform corresponding to the structure to be made is placed in an oven into which a reaction gas phase is admitted. The pressure and the temperature that exist in the oven, and the composition of the gas phase are selected in such a manner as to enable the gas phase to diffuse within the pores of the preform in order to form the matrix therein at the core of the material in contact with the fibers by depositing a solid material that results from decomposing a constituent of the gaseous phase or from a reaction between a plurality of constituents, in contrast to pressure and temperature conditions that are specific to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods and that lead exclusively to a deposit on the surface of the material. 
     A carbon matrix may be formed with hydrocarbon gases such as methane and/or propane that give carbon by cracking, while an SiC matrix can be obtained with methyltrichlorosilane (MTS) that gives SiC by decomposing the MTS. 
     For a C/C-SiC material, the carbon first phase may be formed with hydrocarbon gases giving carbon by cracking, with the SiC second phase then being deposited on the carbon first phase, e.g. by decomposing MTS. 
     It is also possible to perform densification by combining a liquid technique and a gaseous technique in order to facilitate working, limit cost, and limit fabrication cycles, while also obtaining characteristics that are satisfactory for the intended utilization. 
     The elements such as the side walls of the support structure are then machined so as to form the slideways therein and possibly also openings for the purpose of lightening the overall structure and reducing its thermal inertia. Likewise, openings may be machined in the other component elements of the support structure in order to further reduce its weight and its thermal inertia. 
     The advantage of using a thermostructural composite material such as C/C for the resilient elements of the spring type is being able to retain a predefined stiffness when cold while the temperature is being raised. The force exerted by the holder element on the part thus remains practically constant, with this being independent of temperature variations. This serves to provide very accurate control over the holding or the shaping of the part in its final geometrical configuration, with this applying even when the material of the part is subjected to creep at high temperatures. 
     Furthermore, since the holder elements of the metal part are slidably mounted on the support structure, they adapt to expansion and contraction of the part during temperature rises and falls in the heat treatment by following the movements of the part while complying with its geometrical configuration since the movements take place as defined by the shape of the housing in the support structure. 
     The support and the shaping of the metal part in the tooling of the invention may take place in a common plane as applies to the above-described support tooling  100  that has a housing  115  extending in a single plane over the entire length of the housing, i.e. over the entire length of the metal part  150 . 
     Nevertheless, the support tooling of the invention may also serve to support and shape a metal part in a plurality of planes having different orientations. For this purpose, and in a first variant embodiment, support tooling is used in which the support structure defines a housing that is not rectilinear, thereby creating portions that extend at different angles. By way of example, and as shown diagrammatically in  FIG. 6A , support tooling  400  comprises a support structure (not shown in  FIG. 6A ) that defines a housing  415  having a first portion  415   a  in the center and second and third portions  415   b  and  415   c  at its ends that extend in planes that are different from the plane in which the central portion  415   a  extends. More precisely, the central portion  415   a  extends in a plane P 1  parallel to reference directions X and Z. The end portion  415   b  extends in a plane P 2  forming an angle α 1  relative to the plane P 1  in the direction X. The end portion  415   c  extends in a plane P 3  forming an angle α 2  relative to the plane P 1  in the direction X. 
     In the presently-described example, the end portions  415   b  and  415   c  are twisted relative to the central portion  415   a , i.e. the planes P 2  and P 3  of these portions also extend in the direction Y making respective angles β 1  and β 2  with the plane P 1  of the central portion  415   a  ( FIG. 6B ). 
     In a second variant embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the support and shaping of a metal part  550  in compliance with the varying planar geometrical configuration shown in above-described  FIGS. 6A and 6B  can be achieved by adapting support tooling that has a housing that extends in a single plane as in the above-described tooling  100 . For this purpose, and as shown in  FIG. 7 , support tooling  500  is used in which the support structure  510  extends in a longitudinal direction in a common plane. Pairs of additional angular wedges  540 / 541  and  542 / 543  are arranged at the end portions  511  and  512  of the support structure  510  so as to define a housing  515  having a central portion  515   a  that extends in a plane that is identical to the plane P 1  described above with reference to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , and two end portions  515   b  and  515   c  that extend respectively in planes identical to the planes P 2  and P 3  described above with reference to  FIGS. 6A and 6B . As for the tooling  400 , the support tooling  500  makes it possible in the end portions  511  and  512  of the support structure  510  to support the metal part  550  in planes forming one or more angles relative to other support portions of the tooling. 
     The support structure  510  differs from the above-described support structure  110  in that it presents greater width in its end portions  511  and  512  so as to accommodate pairs of angular wedges  540 / 541  and  542 / 543 . In the end portion  511 , as shown in  FIG. 8A , the angular wedge  540  is fastened to one of the side walls  5140  of the support structure, while the wedge  541  is fastened to the opposite side wall  5120 . A thrust plate  5130  having slideways  5130   a  and  5130   b  for allowing jaws to move is fastened to the angular wedge  541  with an interposed spring element  530  serving to hold the part resiliently. Likewise, in the end portion  512  as shown in  FIG. 8B , the angular wedge  543  is fastened to a side wall  5144  of the support structure, while the wedge  542  is fastened to the opposite side wall  5124 . A thrust plate  5134  having slideways  5134   a  and  5134   b  to allow jaws to move is fastened to the angular wedge  543  with an interposed spring element  543  serving to hold the part resiliently. 
     As a function of the planar shape of the housing of the support tooling and/or of the angle, of the arrangement, and of the number of angular wedges used, the tooling can support and shape a metal part in two or more planes oriented at different angles. In accordance with the invention, the angular wedges are also made of thermostructural composite material, preferably of carbon/carbon composite material. 
       FIGS. 9 to 11  show support tooling in another embodiment that differs from the above-described embodiment mainly in that the movements (expansion/contraction) of the part during temperature variations are accompanied by holder elements that are mounted on the tooling via movable connections of the ball-joint or roller type. 
     More precisely, in this embodiment, the support tooling  600  comprises a support structure  610  constituted by a frame  6100  supporting, on one side of the tooling, a side wall  6110  having rollers  6111  to  6116 , and on the other side of the tooling, uprights  6120  to  6125 . A central wall  6130  having plates  6131  to  6136  is also mounted on the frame  6100  between the side wall  6110  and the uprights  6120  to  6125  ( FIG. 10 ). 
     The tooling  600  is for supporting two metal parts  680  and  690  simultaneously, which parts have the same final geometrical configuration. For this purpose, the parts  680  and  690  are placed facing each other by means of spacer elements  620  to  625 , each mounted on a respective carriage  630  to  635 . Each carriage  630  to  635  has a respective roller  6300  to  6350  that presses against a respective plate  6131  to  6136  of the central wall  6130 . 
     The part  680  is also held on its side remote from the spacer elements  620  to  625  by thrust plates  640  to  645 , each bearing respectively on one of the rollers  6111  to  6116  of the side wall  6110 . 
     The part  690  is held on its side remote from the spacer elements  620  to  625  by jaws  650  to  655  that have respective side portions  6501  to  6551  and horizontal top portions  6502  to  6552 . The jaws  650  to  655  are mounted on the tooling by hinged spring connections. More precisely, spring type resilient elements  660  to  665  are interposed between the resilient jaws  650  to  655  and the corresponding uprights  6120  to  6125 . In addition, the resilient elements  660  to  665  are connected to the respective jaws  650  to  655  by ball-joints  6601  to  6651 . The resilient elements  660  to  665  are also connected to the uprights  6120  to  6125  of the support structure by ball-joints  6602  to  6652 . In this way, the spring elements  650  to  655  and the ball-joints  6601  to  6651  and  6602  to  6652  form hinged resilient connections that enable a holding force to be exerted both laterally and vertically on the parts  680  and  690 . As shown in  FIG. 11  for the jaw  653 , the lateral portions  6531  of the jaw  653  act under the pressure from the spring element  663  to exert a lateral holding force F λ  on the parts  680  and  690 , while the horizontal top portions  6532  of the jaw  653  acts under pressure from the spring element  663  to exert a vertical holding force F ν  on the parts  680  and  690 . 
     In addition to this hinge connection at the jaws making it possible to follow the movements of the metal parts during temperature variations, the spacer elements  620  to  625  and the thrust plates  640  to  645  are also adapted to accompany the movements of the parts while they hold them in the tooling. The spacer elements  620  to  625  are associated with the carriages  630  to  635 , each of which rests on one of the plates  6131  to  6136  of the central wall  6130  so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the parts. Likewise, the thrust plates  640  to  645  are held against the rollers  6111  to  6116  of the side wall  6110  and can consequently follow the movements of the parts in the tooling. 
     The tooling  600  thus has holding means that enable metal parts to be supported and/or shaped while hot in a precise geometrical configuration, while adapting to the expansions and contractions of the parts during temperature variations. 
     The component elements of the tooling  600 , and in particular the support structure  610 , the spacer elements  620  to  625 , the carriages  630  to  635 , the thrust plates  640  to  645 , the rollers  6111  to  6116 , the jaws  650  to  655 , and the resilient elements  660  to  665  are made of composite material. 
     The support tooling  600  is particularly suitable for supporting metal parts of large dimensions since it enables parts of large weight to be held in balanced and reliable manner.