METHOD OF DEVELOPING COMPLEX TOOL SHAPES

摘要

A method is disclosed for developing the contours of forming tools for fabricati ng metal members of complex shape such as wing skin and fuselage panels for aircraf t. A computer simulation is performed of the are forming process on a geometrical representation of a member having the-material properties of a desired metal member. The age forming process includes the steps of: a) overforming an unformed member in a tool having a contour of smaller curvature than the contour of the desired member; b) constraining the unformed member in the overformed condition; c) applying a thermal aging cycle to the member; d) coolin g the constrained member following the thermal aging cycle; and e) releasing the constrained member from the condition imparted by step (b) and allowing it to spring back to a dimensionally stable condition which defines the desired member having a surface contour of complex shape. From the simulation, the contour of smaller curvature in step (a) to produce the desired metal member following step (e) is determined.