Imperial Innovations Limited

Impression Technologies Limited

Ip2ipo Innovations Limited

Trevor A Dean

Jianguo Lin

Alistair Foster

Daniel Balint

John Dear

Omer El Fakir

George Adam

Liliang Wang

Lilang Wang

A method of forming a part from sheet metal alloy is provided, for example, forming a part from aluminium alloy. The method comprises heating (A) the sheet metal alloy to a temperature at which solution heat treatment of the alloy occurs and so as to achieve solution heat treatment. The sheet is cooled (B) at at least the critical cooling rate for the alloy and then placed between dies to form (C) it into or towards the part.

Method of forming parts from sheet metal alloy

The method relates to a method of forming an Al-alloy sheet component. The method comprises heating an Al-alloy sheet blank to its Solution Heat Treatment temperature at a heating station and, in the case of alloys not in a pre age hardened temper, maintaining the SHT temperature until Solution Heat Treatment is complete. The sheet blank is then transferred to a set of cold dies and forming is initiated within 10 s of removal from the heating station so that heat loss from the sheet blank is minimised. The cold dies are closed to form the sheet blank into a shaped component, said forming occurring in less than 0.15 s, and the formed component is held in the closed dies during cooling of the formed component. The claimed method will find application for any Aluminium alloy with a microstructure and mechanical properties that can be usefully modified by solution treatment and age-hardening.

Process for forming aluminium alloy sheet components

A method of forming a part from sheet metal alloy is provided, for example, forming a part from aluminium alloy. The method comprises heating (A) the sheet metal alloy to a temperature at which solution heat treatment of the alloy occurs and so as to achieve solution heat treatment. The sheet is cooled (B) at least the critical cooling rate for the alloy and then placed between dies to form (C) it into or towards the part.

Method of forming a component of complex shape from an Al-alloy sheet or a Mg-alloy sheet. The method includes the steps of: a) heating the sheet to a temperature below the solution heat treatment (SHT) temperature for the alloy; b) forming the heated sheet between heated dies into or towards the complex shape; c) heating the sheet to at least its SHT temperature and substantially maintaining that temperature until SHT has been completed; and d) quenching the solution heat treated sheet between cold dies and at the same time completing the forming into the complex shape or maintaining that shape.

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Birmingham, United Kingdom

Trevor A Dean