METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISTORTING A WORKPIECE

摘要

The method of distorting a workpiece (8) comprises selecting a desired configuration of the workpiece; determining distortions (14) to be applied to at least two regions of the workpiece to cause the workpiece to adopt the desired configuration; and using the determined distortions in accordance with predetermined information (12, 13) relating heat treatments of the workpiece to resultant distortions, to obtain or generate heat control data (15) defining heat treatments to be applied to corresponding regions of the workpiece, which will cause the determined distortions in the workpiece (8). The heat control data and the determined distortions are related by the equation AX=B, where B is a vector describing the determined distortions according to the heat treatments, X is a vector representing the heat control data and A is a matrix of elements representing the predetermined information. The defined heat treatments are then applied (16) to the corresponding regions of the workpiece (8) to produce the determined distortions.