Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Chongmin Kim

Gary A Kruger

Mark G Konopnicki

Richard Murray Kleber

Moinuddin S Rashid

John Norman Johnson

Paul Edward Krajewski

Adrian B Chernoff

James Gregory Schroth

Richard Harry Hammar

Ravi Verma

Sooho Kim

Frederick Irvin Saunders

Michelle R Goff

Anil Kumar Sachdev

John E Carsley

John Robert Bradley

Charles J Bruggemann

Edward Frank Ryntz

Edward F Ryntz, Jr

Stephen R Koshorek

Jacob Lyjak

Michael L Wenner

Kulsum Rashid, Legal Representative

George K Nurminen

One embodiment of the invention may include a method of producing a composite article comprising a container, filling the container with a powdered metal, and compacting the powdered metal in the container such that an interfacial bond is created between the compacted powdered metal and the container.

Method of producing composite articles and articles made thereby

A method is disclosed for stretching magnesium-containing aluminum alloy sheet stock into intricate shapes such as are required in automotive body panels. The sheet stock, at a temperature in the range of about 400&#xb0; C. to about 510&#xb0; C., is stretched under the pressure of a working gas into conformance with the surface of a forming tool. The sheet forming pressure is increased continually in a controlled manner from ambient pressure to a final forming level in the range of about 250 psi to about 500 psi or higher. A portion of the sheet can experience strain rates substantially higher than 10secand the forming of the sheet can be completed within 12 minutes.

Quick plastic forming of aluminum alloy sheet metal

The production of lightweight closure assemblies with a selection of materials optimized to have sufficient formability for each component of the closure assembly, while providing the necessary performance standards at a lighter weight. A mixed metal vehicle closure assembly with an inner panel and an outer panel operatively connected to one another such that they define a cavity therebetween. The closure assembly includes a unitary reinforcement panel attached to the inner and outer panels and inside the cavity therebetween. At least one of the inner, outer and unitary reinforcement panels is composed of a first type of sheet metal and at least one other of the remaining inner, outer or unitary reinforcement panel is composed of a second type of sheet metal.

Mixed metal closure assembly and method

Method of preforming and forming a sheet metal article from a preheated blank of sheet metal uses opposing dies including a punch having a punch surface defining a final configuration for the article and a cavity die having a cavity surface defining a preform configuration. The blank is placed between the dies and has a first side surface facing the cavity die and a second side surface facing the punch. A vacuum is applied to the first side of the blank to draw and shape the blank into the cavity die to a preform configuration conforming to the cavity surface. The punch and the cavity die are then closed toward one another and gas pressure is then applied to the first side surface of the blank to press the second side surface against the punch surface to the finish configuration.

Method for vaccum assisted preforming of superplastically or quick plastically formed article

A method for manufacturing a lower body component for a vehicle is provided including forming a one-piece floor pan at least partially defining a vehicle passenger compartment and substantially extending longitudinally at least the entire length thereof, and forming a one piece reinforcement structural member for reinforcing the pan. The method also includes simultaneously forming the pan and one-piece reinforcement structural member by stacking a pair of weldable sheet metal blanks sufficiently close together to define a comon interface, positioning the stacked blanks between moveable profile forming dies, heating the dies so that the blanks reach a superplastic forming temperature, and plastically deforming the stacked blanks into a lower body component having the profile of the dies. The method also includes friction stir welding of the stacked blanks at the common interface.

Automotive lower body component method of manufacture

A door beam arrangement is provided for a vehicle door having a door panel with a hinge mounting flange and a latch mounting flange. A first hollow tube of high-strength steel has one end fixedly mounted on one of the flanges, and a second end. A second hollow tube of a non-ferrous material has one end fixedly mounted on the other of the flanges and is of smaller diameter than the first hollow tube and inserted into the first hollow tube and is slidable therein to accommodate variations in the distance between the hinge mounting flange and the latch mounting flange.

Door beam for motor vehicle

A forming apparatus and method for minimizing wrinkling in the forming of a three-dimensional component from a two-dimensional blank. The forming apparatus includes vertically opposed sets of tools or binders. A first tool or binder apparatus has first and second sets of opposed sides having contoured binder surfaces. A second tool or binder apparatus is mounted in vertically opposed relation to the first binder apparatus, and includes first and second sets of opposed tool or binder segments that have contoured binder surfaces thereon that are complementary in shape to the respective binder surfaces of the first and second sets of opposed sides of the first binder apparatus. One of the first and second sets of opposed binder segments of the second binder apparatus have substantially similar contours and the other have different contours. One of the first and second sets of opposed binder segments of the second binder apparatus is elevated and movable with respect to the other.

Binder apparatus for sheet forming

A press and tooling apparatus for forming a preheated blank includes a heated upper tool and an opposing heated lower tool mounted within the press for relative closing movement to press the preheated blank there between. A binder ring assembly surrounds the lower tool and is mounted on the press for movement relative to the lower tool so at to bind the preheated blank to the upper tool in air tight sealing relationship in readiness for closure of the tools and application of pressurized gas to force the blank into contact with the upper tools. The binder ring assembly includes an upper ring that is heated so as to prevent the cooling of the preheated blank, and a lower ring that supports the upper ring and is fixedly connected to the upper ring by spaced apart connectors so as to minimize the heat transfer path from the heated upper ring to the lower ring. The upper and lower rings have opposed seal surfaces spaced from one another to receive there between a seal of metallic hollow tubular construction which provides fluid tight sealing between the upper and lower rings, and minimizes heat transfer there between.

Hollow metallic ring seal for press

An integrally designed roof rack and roof panel attached to a vehicle may be formed using quick plastic forming (QPF) and superplastic forming processing (SPF). A number of vehicle accessories such as luggage containers, fuel tanks, consoles, door attachments, truck beds and table trays may be formed using QPF processes. The items may be installed and movable onto and off the vehicle. A variety of QPF processes may be employed, enabling the vehicle accessory to meet required strength, dimensional, and shape considerations. Additionally, component integration is enabled by using QPF processes.

Automotive roof rack and accessories manufactured with QPF/SPF technology

A method for forming sheet metal articles, such as automotive body panels, having complex curvatures. Opposing, complementary, pre-form and finish-form tools are used in a single press. A sheet of hot blow-formable sheet metal alloy, heated to a forming temperature, is placed between the tools. The pre-forming tool is lowered to a first stage closed position thereby trapping edges of the sheet between binder surfaces of the tools. The sheet is first stretched against the pre-form tool using pressurized gas to form a pre-form that undergoes most of the metal stretching required for the final part shape. Then the finish-form tool is pivotably advanced into a second stage closed position. The pre-form is displaced away from the pre-form tool and hot plastically formed against the opposing finish-form tool with pressurized gas to obtain the final sheet metal part shape. The finish-form tool is then pivotably retracted so as to avoid die lock or part interference conditions.

Curvilinear punch motion for double-action hot stretch-forming

A method of quick-plastic-forming a component from a sheet metal blank in multiple forming stages of single-action tooling along a transfer line. The blank is transferred from a prebending station to a preforming station along the transfer line, wherein the blank is preformed by a single-action forming tool into a preform blank. The preform blank is then transferred from the preforming station to a finish-forming station along the transfer line, wherein the blank is finish-formed by a single-action forming tool into the component. The component is transferred from the finish-forming station to a cooling station along the transfer line. The transfer steps are carried out by a reciprocating transfer mechanism that simultaneously transfers the blanks and component from station to station along the transfer line.

High throughput quick-plastic-forming

A mechanical mechanism is disclosed for supplementing the action of a pressurized working gas in hot blow forming of a sheet material. Opposing complementary heated forming tools grip the sheet material and form a shaping surface on one side of the sheet and a gas pressure chamber on the other side. An internal complementary mechanical forming device is located inside the pressure chamber. The device is operated by an internal rotatable shaft supported through the chamber defining tool wall. The internal shaft is coupled outside the tool wall to an external shaft for external activation of the mechanical forming device. The external shaft and coupling are enclosed in a housing structure that provide a pressure seal, thrust support and thermal insulation for the external activation mechanism.

External activation mechanism for pressurized forming cavity

A method is disclosed for forming sheet metal articles, such as automotive body panels, having significant curvatures in front-to-back and side-to-side directions. Opposing, complementary, preforming and final shape forming tools are used in a single press. A sheet of superplastically or quick plastically formable sheet metal alloy, heated to a forming temperature, is first stretched against the preform tool by the final shape tool to form a preform that has experienced most of the metal stretching required for the final part shape. The preform is removed from the preform tool and formed against the opposing, final shape tool with pressurized gas to obtain the final sheet metal part shape.

Method for stretch forming sheet metal by pressing and the application of gas pressure

A method is disclosed for forming sheet metal articles, such as automotive body panels, having significant curvatures in front-to-back and side-to-side directions. Opposing, complementary, preforming and final shape forming tools are used in a single press. A sheet of superplastically or quick plastically formable sheet metal alloy, heated to a forming temperature, is first stretched against the preform tool using pressurized gas to form a preform that has experienced most of the metal stretching required for the final part shape. The preform is removed from the preform tool and formed against the opposing tool with pressurized gas to obtain the final sheet metal part shape.

Method for double action gas pressure forming sheet material

Apparatus and method for hot blow-forming an article from a blank of sheet metal. Simultaneously, a surface of the blank of sheet metal is formed against a form tool body that partially defines a forming surface and against a form tool insert that also partially defines the forming surface and that is positioned within a recess of the form tool body such that a lateral gap is defined between the form tool insert and form tool body. Opposed projections are provided on upper surfaces of the form tool insert and the form tool body adjacent the gap. The projections create a raised portion on the sheet metal panel that corresponds to the gap. The raised portion is removed flush with respect to a visible surface of the article.

Growing community of inventors

Bloomfield Township, MI, United States of America

Chongmin Kim