METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING ARTICLES FROM METALS HAVING A HEXAGONAL CLOSE PACKED CRYSTAL STRUCTURE

摘要

A method and apparatus for fabricating articles from metals having a hexagonal close packed (HCP) crystal structure is described. The method comprises a two-stage process: specialized hot deep drawing and pneumatic coining within a single press cycle. The apparatus includes a drawing chamber (110) in which the environmental temperature is sufficient to impart enough ductility to the metal or alloy blank (101) to allow it to be drawn about a plug (121) into an outline shape of the finished part. More detailed features are then added by increasing gas pressure inside the chamber (110), thereby forcing the drawn blank (101) more closely against the contours of the plug (121). Use of pneumatic pressure avoids the use of matched dies, which are prohibitively complex and expensive to use to shape parts from such HCP metals.