Rockwell International Corporation

Billy A Burroughs

Leonard A Ascani, Jr

A method of making filamentary reinforced metallic structures is disclosed. The method uses a stack of workpieces having two principal opposed surfaces. At least one of the outer workpieces comprises at least one inner sheet made of a metal matrix material reinforced with filamentary material and two cover sheets which sandwich the inner sheets and which extend beyond the periphery of the at least one inner sheet. Selected area of the workpieces are treated to prevent bonding at those areas. The workpieces are stacked and positioned between shaping members such that they enclose at least one chamber of at least one of the shaping members. The workpieces are heated to a temperature sufficient to produce diffusion bonding at preselected untreated areas and compressive pressure is applied, both of which are maintained for a sufficient time so as to consolidate the at least one outer workpiece into a single sheet workpiece comprising an interior reinforced portion with a peripheral monolithic portion and to diffusion bond the stack at the untreated areas. Alternately the stack can be press diffusion bonded prior to insertion into the forming apparatus. After bonding, tensile stress is induced, preferably by gas pressure, in at least one consolidated workpiece causing at least a portion of the peripheral monolithic portion to expand superplastically against and into intimate contact with at least one of the shaping members.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Billy A Burroughs