General Electric Company

Stephen R Demichele

Sukhminder S Grewal

Richard Lucien Couture

Methods and apparatus for operating a press, such as a forge or trim press, are directed at activating a ram in a press having a lower die and an upper die connected to a ram by heating a workpiece to a first temperature above an impact temperature. The workpiece then is placed on the lower die, monitored during chill down of the workpiece from the first temperature, and the ram actuated based upon the monitoring in a controlled manner to effect an impact of the upper die against the workpiece. The monitoring includes measuring a characteristic parameter of the workpiece and the actuating includes actuating the ram after a predetermined fixed value of the measured parameter is measured. The placing of the workpiece on the lower die is done manually in the preferred embodiment. In a more particular embodiment, the characteristic parameter is a contact time period of the workpiece with the lower die and the measuring includes starting to measure the contact time period of the workpiece with the lower die as soon as contact is made between the workpiece and the lower die, and actuating the ram to effect the impact occur at a predetermined fixed period of time after the contact is made.

Method for precision temperature controlled hot forming

The invention includes methods and apparatus for forging and may be applied to trim processes using trim presses. Included are methods and apparatus for forging a gas turbine engine blade forging from a pre-formed workpiece having in serial relationship root, platform, and airfoil sections. A forge press includes a lower die and an upper die and the workpiece has a workpiece contact surface area for contacting a die contact surface area of the upper die during impact of the upper die against the workpiece. A workpiece is heated to a first temperature above an impact temperature, the workpiece is placed on the lower die such that the workpiece contact surface area is in an elevated position above the die contact surface area during chill down, and the ram is actuated to effect impacting of the upper die against the workpiece and contact between the workpiece contact surface area and the die contact surface area during the impacting. One embodiment includes spacing the workpiece contact surface area above the die contact surface area with a collapsible means that collapses during the impacting allowing the contact between the workpiece contact surface area and the die contact surface area during the impacting.

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Pittsford, VT, United States of America

Stephen R Demichele