Rockwell International Corporation

Charles Howard Hamilton

Roger S Raymond

Paul R Puhaczewski

Fred B Koeller

Martin Goldberg

A method of removing a formed part from a die, said part produced by clamping a preform between first and second dies, bringing said preform to within an elevated temperature range suitable for superplastic forming of said preform, and applying pressure to said preform to superplastically form at least a portion of said preform into a cavity of said first die, comprising the steps of:

Method of removing formed parts from a die

Metals such as titanium alloy blanks which are subject to contamination by air at elevated temperatures are precision formed into desired shapes in a controlled environment. The metal worksheet and a shaping member are located within an enclosure. An inert gas environment is provided in the enclosed area. The metal worksheet is heated to a suitable forming temperature and stretched substantially in excess of its original surface area under tensile stress from a fluid pressure loading and formed into the desired shape by interaction with the shaping member. Novel sealing arrangements for the enclosed area of the forming apparatus are provided.

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San Pedro, CA, United States of America

Charles Howard Hamilton