LAMINATED CAVITY TOOLING

摘要

In some examples, a laminated tooling die may include multiple sheets or plates used in conjunction in any of a number of forming operations such as, for example, hydroforming, compression molding, and stamping. The sheets or plates can include an open interior that, when used in conjunction with neighboring sheets, produce a cavity into which a deformable workpiece can be placed and subjected to the forming operation. In some examples, one or more sheets can be coupled with a heat exchanger to impart a heat transfer with the workpiece.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a molding die; and a molding machine structured to receive and locate a deformable workpiece relative to the molding die in order to carry out a plastic deformation operation when force is applied to the deformable workpiece causing it to plastically deform, wherein the molding die comprises a plurality of removable die layers connected together to define a void in the molding die into which the deformable workpiece is plastically deformed in the plastic deformation operation, wherein the plurality of removable die layers are structured to produce a first plastic deformation in the deformable workpiece in a first mold deformation process when at least one layer of the plurality of removable die layers is absent during the process, and wherein the plurality of removable die layers are structured to produce a second plastic deformation subsequent to the first plastic deformation in the deformable workpiece in a second mold deformation process when the at least one layer is present during the process.