Patent ID: 6837088

Claim:
An apparatus for hot gas blow-forming a sheet metal blank into a finished component, said apparatus comprising: a flask having an exterior periphery and an interior periphery, said flask being sized and adapted to receive different dies of various size and shape for hot gas blow-forming, said flask further having sides with top surfaces for supporting said sheet metal blank thereon; a heater plate positioned within said flask and adapted to contact one of said different dies for separately heating said one of said different dies; said one of said different dies having a forming surface for forming said sheet metal blank into said finished component, said one of said different dies further having an exterior periphery and being mounted within said flask against said heater plate; and a cover positioned opposite said flask and having portions adapted to engage said sheet metal blank against said top surfaces of said sides of said flask, said cover thereby at least partially defining a pressure chamber between said sheet metal blank and said cover.