Vari-form, Inc.

General Electric Company

Carlisle Engineered Products, Inc.

Blair J Longhouse

Thomas M Goral

Larry D Butterfield

James E Staargaard

Keith R Panter

Mitch Brown

Jerry Klanges

Terry E Nardone

Dennis Gaida

Eric Kowal

Gerrald A Klages

Martin L Bliss

Jose U Coelho

Trevor M Clark

Timothy R Flint

In at least one implementation, a method of making a turbine blade may include providing a preform having a hollow cross-section, hydroforming the preform to form a turbine blade body comprising a shell that includes a continuous hollow portion along its interior, and providing a mounting portion attached to the body to mount the turbine blade to a hub. In one or more implementations of the method, the mounting portion may be provided during the step of hydroforming the preform and the mounting portion may be formed from the same preform as the turbine blade body.

Hydroformed turbine blade

The present invention comprises a method of attaching plastic to a metal substrate and a part made by the method. A hydroformed metal section having top and bottom openings is provided. A plastic component is molded about the metal component and through the bottom opening. The plastic component includes a flange on one side thereof to secure the plastic component with the metal component.

Method of attaching plastic to a metal section and part made thereby

A front end module including a plastic component connected to a metallic substrate. The metallic substrate can be formed by hydroforming and shaped into a substantially unitary member. The plastic component is then molded about the metallic substrate and simultaneously forms connections thereto at discrete locations along the length of the metallic substrate.

Front end module

Growing community of inventors

Otterville, Canada

Blair J Longhouse