The Boeing Company

Temper Ip, LLC

Hot Metal Gas Forming Intellectual Property, Inc.

Other

Hot Metal Gas Forming IP 2, Inc.

William Chet Dykstra

Marc Rollo Matsen

Lee Charles Firth

George D Pfaffmann

Robert James Miller

Mark Alan Negley

Kim E Peterson

Gregory Alan Foltz

Luke A Martin

Xin Wu

David S Nansen

Jennifer Sue Noel

Landon Keith Henson

Gregory J Hickman

Tunde Abiodun Olaniyan

Carey E Wilkinson

John Ralph Hull

William Preston Geren

Everette Desmond Gray

John B Moser

Glen Smith

Gregory J S Hickman

Steven W Morgan

Everette D Gray

Jennifer S Noel

Gregory A Foltz

Robert J Miller

A method and system for heating a material includes an induction coil, a susceptor providing a receptacle, where the receptacle is configured to receive the material, and at least one nozzle for ejecting a heated gas onto and/or into the material. During the method, the susceptor is heated by the induction coil, and thermal energy from the susceptor can be transferred to the material. In addition to being heated by heat from the susceptor, the material is also heated by the heated gas, thereby increasing a heating rate of the material to rapidly heat the material to a processing temperature. The system can include other components such as a gas source, at least one conduit that channels gas from the gas source to the at least one nozzle, and a heat source that heats the gas prior to ejecting the gas from the at least one nozzle.

Charge heating method and systems for induction molding

A component forming tool for forming a component from a blank includes a die forming shell for forming the component from the blank. A first shell portion of the die forming shell is located on a first set of support elements and a second shell portion is located on a second set of support elements. The tool includes at least one induction heating coil for induction heating of a workpiece disposed within a cavity formed by the first and second shell portions. The first set of support elements include multi-material support elements having at least two layers of different materials and the second set of support elements include multi-material support elements having at least two layers of different materials.

Tool and shell using induction heating

Disclosed herein are induction heating cells and methods of using these cells for processing. An induction heating cell may be used for processing (e.g., consolidating and/or curing a composite layup having a non-planar portion. The induction heating cell comprises a caul, configured to position over and conform to this non-planar portion. Furthermore, the cell comprises a mandrel, configured to position over the caul and force the caul again the surface of the feature. The CTE of the caul may be closer to the CTE of the composite layup than to the CTE of the mandrel. As such, the caul isolates the composite layup from the dimensional changes of the mandrel, driven by temperature fluctuations. At the same time, the caul may conform to the surface of the mandrel, which can be used to define the shape and transfer pressure to the non-planar portion.

Induction heating cells with cauls over mandrels methods of using thereof

Assisted magnetic forming uses a magnetic field to assist in the forming or molding of metallic and non-metallic materials. For example, such a forming process may form a blank of ferromagnetic metals like high-strength steel and high-hard armor, non-ferromagnetic metals like aluminum and magnesium, as well as non-metals like ceramics, plastics, and fiber-reinforced composites into formed or molded parts. The magnetic field is generated to partially or completely saturate the blank during the forming process, which increases the blank's formability and/or moldability while in the presence of the magnetic field.

Forming process using magnetic fields

Systems and methods are provided for molding systems that have a low thermal mass. One embodiment is a first tool that includes a first frame. The first frame includes a first set of plates of magnetically permeable material, and a material disposed between plates of the first set. The first tool also includes a first set of induction coils that are disposed within the first frame and that generate a first electromagnetic field, and a first susceptor that extends from the first set of plates. The first susceptor generates heat in response to the first electromagnetic field. The first tool further includes a mold that extends from the first susceptor and receives heat via conductive heat transfer from the first susceptor. Each plate of the first set is thinner than a skin depth at which the first electromagnetic field would generate an electrical induction current.

Induction molding for parts having thermoplastic portions

Disclosed are induction heating cells comprising tensioning members with non-magnetic metal cores. Also disclosed are methods of operating such cells, for example, to process composite parts. The non-magnetic metal cores of the tensioning members provide excellent tensile strength. Furthermore, the non-magnetic metal cores allow forming long tensioning members leading to large induction heating cells for processing large composite parts, such aircraft fuselage parts, wing parts, and the like. The diameter of these non-magnetic metal cores is less than the induction heating threshold for magnetic fields used during operation of the cells, which ensures limited or no interaction of the cores with the magnetic fields. The cores can be arranged into a tensioning member extending through and compressing the die of an induction heating cell. When multiple cores are used, these cores are electrically insulated from each other, e.g., using an insulating shell or spacing these cores away from each other.

Induction heating cells comprising tensioning members with non-magnetic metal cores

Provided are induction heating cells including pressure bladders used for supporting dies and methods of using these induction heating cells. A pressure bladder may be disposed between a die and a bolster of the cell. Even when the bolster is deformed during operation of the cell, the pressure bladder continues to provide uniform support to the die thereby preserving integrity of the die and prevents its cracking or braking. As such, the cell may be operated at a higher processing pressure inside the cavity formed by the die without further strengthening the bolster. The bolster is allowed to deform without compromising the integrity of the die. The deformation of the bolster is compensated by the shape change of the pressure bladder. The number and/or position of the bladders in the cell may depend on the shape of processed parts.

Induction heating cells including pressure bladders

Induction heating cells including pressure bladders and methods of using thereof

A component forming tool for forming a component from a blank includes a die forming shell for forming the component from the blank. A first shell portion of the die forming shell is disposed at a first set of support elements and a second shell portion is disposed at a second set of support elements. The tool includes at least one induction heating coil for induction heating of a workpiece disposed within a cavity formed by the first and second shell portions. The first set of support elements may be configured to detachably engage with respective base support elements of the component forming tool, with the first set of support elements keyed to engage the base support elements to limit lateral movement of the first shell portion at the base support elements. The first set of support elements may include at least two layers of different materials.

A method and apparatus for welding a thermoplastic structure. The apparatus comprises a base, a cover, and a channel. The base is formed of a material that is magnetically opaque to a frequency in a range of 30 KHz to 350 KHz. The cover is formed of the material. The channel extends between the base and the cover.

Welding thermoplastic structures

Described herein is a method of forming tooling used to form a material. The method includes positioning a first susceptor made from a first susceptor material between first and second dies. At least one of the first and second dies includes a forming surface having a desired shape. The method further includes positioning a second susceptor made from a second susceptor material between the first and second dies such that the first susceptor is interposed between the second susceptor and the forming surface. Additionally, the method includes positioning a first bladder between the first and second dies such that the second susceptor is interposed between the first bladder and the first susceptor. Also, the method includes inflating the first bladder to concurrently deform the first susceptor and second susceptor into the desired shape.

Method and apparatus for forming tooling and associated materials therefrom

A method and apparatus for performing induction welding. A number of protective layers are positioned between a susceptor layer and at least one of a plurality of workpieces at a weld location. An undesired current path is prevented from forming at the weld location during induction heating of the plurality of workpieces by the number of protective layers.

Induction welding system

A part is inductively heated by multiple, self-regulating induction coil circuits having susceptors, coupled together in parallel and in series with an AC power supply. Each of the circuits includes a tuning capacitor that tunes the circuit to resonate at the frequency of AC power supply.

Induction heating using induction coils in series-parallel circuits

A method of forming and quenching a product via electrically heating includes providing tools that have been electrically heated, providing a die forming shell for supporting a component and for defining a final shape of a formed product formed from the component, and providing a support structure for supporting the die forming shell during the heating of the component or tools. Two portions of the die forming shell are joined together so that an inner surface of the two portions cooperate to form a cavity that defines the shape of the formed product. The component is formed into the formed product, whereby the component is (a) heated before the formed product is formed and/or (b) heated while the formed product is formed. The formed product is quenched via conductive quenching through the die forming shell by at least one of water and a gas.

Growing community of inventors

Rockford, MI, United States of America

William Chet Dykstra