Magna International Inc.

Maximilian Amtmann

Boris Shulkin

Aldo Anthony Van Gelder

Hongping Gu

William Andrew Kokosza

Todd Deaville

Franco Acacia

William A Kokosza

A tool for forming a shaped product has a support body that is fabricated from a first material, such as for instance cast iron. The first material defines a first portion of a forming surface of the tool and has a feature supported thereon. The feature has a layer of a second material that is supported on the first material of the support body, a layer of a third material that is supported on the layer of the second material and a layer of a fourth material that is supported on the layer of the third material. The layer of the fourth material, such as for instance a tool steel alloy, defines a second portion of the forming surface of the tool. During use the first portion of the forming surface and the second portion of the forming surface cooperate to form a desired shape of the shaped product.

Process for laser-assisted tool build and repair

A process for making a shaped-part from a heat-treatable aluminum alloy blank comprises providing the blank in a hardened temper state, for instance the T6 or another suitable temper state. The as-provided blank is subjected to selective heating, such that a first portion of the blank is heated to a predetermined first temperature for a predetermined first length of time and a second portion of the blank is heated to a predetermined second temperature for a predetermined second length of time. The heated blank is then formed into the desired shape of the shaped-part, and is cooled to ambient temperature. The selective heating substantially increases ductility to facilitate forming of the blank into the desired shape of the shaped part, and provides desired mechanical properties within first and second portions of the shaped part corresponding to the first and second portions of the blank.

Process for forming aluminum alloy parts with tailored mechanical properties

A system for fabricating a composite article includes a pre-impregnation station for forming a prepreg comprising a reinforcement impregnated with a resin. The prepreg is provided to a blanking station where a blank is cut from the partially cured prepreg and arranged onto a preforming mold. The blank is then transferred to a forming station, and is formed into the composite article using a compression mold. The pre-impregnation station, the blanking station and the forming station are co-located. During forming of the blank into the composite article using the compression mold, additional prepreg is formed in the pre-impregnation station and passes to the blanking station so as to form a next blank for being formed into a next composite article during a subsequent molding cycle. Optionally, the prepreg is partially cured prior to being cut in the blanking station.

Method for direct inline molding of pre-impregnated composites

A forming tool apparatus is provided for forming an article having a negative draft angle that locks the formed article within the forming tool. An insert, which is disposed within a recess defined in a forming surface of the forming tool, has a surface that cooperates with the forming surface of the forming tool to shape a metal blank into a desired final shape. In particular, the surface of the insert is shaped to define the negative draft angle feature of the formed article. Subsequent to forming the article, a linear-drive mechanism is activated to withdraw the insert away from the formed article, and thereby unlock the formed article from the tool. The formed article is then extracted from the tool along an extraction direction that is other than parallel to the direction along which the insert is driven.

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Brampton, Canada

Maximilian Amtmann