Novelis, Inc.

Alcan International Limited

James D Moulton

Stuart R MacEwen

Robert William Mallory

Peter Hamstra

Kevin Gong

Yihai Shi

Stuart Macewen

Stuart R Macewen

In hydroforming of hollow metal articles in a die, such as pressure-ram-forming procedures, a method of decreasing cycle time of the forming process, while ensuring acceptable product properties and avoiding failures, by modeling the process using finite element analysis to establish a pressure-time history that optimizes the forming operation and applies failure limits to selected variables such as minimum wall thickness or maximum strain rate, and transferring this pressure-time history to a computer controlling the forming process. Thermocouple and/or continuity sensors are incorporated into the die wall and connected to the computer so as to provide active feedback from the die to the control of the process.

Methods of and apparatus for forming hollow metal articles

A method of forming a bottle-shaped or other contoured metal container by subjecting a hollow metal preform having a closed end to internal fluid pressure to cause the preform to expand against the wall of a die cavity defining the desired shape, and advancing a punch by means of a backing ram into the die cavity to displace and deform the closed end of the preform either before or after expansion begins but before it is complete. The pressure-subjecting step is performed by simultaneously subjecting the preform in the die cavity to independently controllable internal and external positive fluid pressures and varying the difference between them to control strain rate. Apparatus for performing the method includes a split die with plural split inserts disposed in tandem to define the die cavity wall and heaters respectively inserted within the preform and arranged to heat the backing ram.

Methods of and apparatus for pressure-ram-forming metal containers and the like

Growing community of inventors

Kingston, Canada

James D Moulton