Abstract:
Our induction heating workcell permits rapid and controlled heating and cooling of a workpiece within a wide temperature range. The induction workcell allows us to combine manufacturing operations, like SPF, brazing, and annealing, into a single heating cycle to save time, energy, capital, touch labor, and factory space. Superplastic forming (SPF) and brazing occur at temperatures that differ by about 150.degree.-200.degree. F. (85.degree.-105.degree. C.) or more as do SPF and .beta.-annealing of titanium. We can combine these operations into an economical single cycle in which both operations are done during a single heating of the press Multisheet SPF parts with braze joints at selected locations are made by (a) heating a multisheet pack to its superplastic forming range below the melting point of the braze alloy, (b) superplastically forming the pack at the SPF temperature to form the sheets and to define braze joints having unmelted braze alloy, (c) increasing the temperature to the braze temperature of the braze alloy, and (d) cooling the pack below the superplastic range to freeze the braze alloy in the braze joint.
Abstract:
There is provided a plasma cutting method using a plasma cutting apparatus which comprises a plasma torch including: an electrode; a confining nozzle so arranged as to surround the electrode with a spacing therefrom that defines a passage for flushing a plasma gas; and an assisting nozzle so arranged as to surround the confining nozzle with a spacing therefrom that defines a passage for flushing a secondary gas, characterized in that a rate of flow of the secondary gas per unit area Vq which is expressed by an equation: Vq=Q/A2 is not less than 250 (m.sup.3 /sec/m.sup.2), where Q is a rate of flow of the secondary gas and A2 is a pinched area of the secondary gas.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for positioning and holding a pair of sheet metal blanks to be butt welded into a compound blank for stamping a larger panel with varying thicknesses. A fixture plate is provided with locating corners matching predetermined reference corners of the blank and with mechanisms for pushing the blanks into the locating corners. The first blank is pushed into abutment with stops that are then pivoted out of the way, after the first blank is clamped in place. The second blank is then abutted with the already clamped first blank, and clamped. The loaded fixture is then transported to a weld station, where the pre positioned blanks can be quickly and efficiently laser welded.
Abstract:
A processing system includes at least one processing chamber, a conveyor disposed through the chamber and a drive unit coupled to the conveyor and intermittently activated by a drive controller for driving the conveyor for a first predetermined interval of time at a preselected one of a plurality of speeds and stopping the conveyor for a second predetermined interval of time. The processing system further includes a temperature control system to provide the processing chamber with a first internal region having a first predetermined temperature and a second internal region having a second predetermined temperature, and one or more temperature sensors disposed to monitor the temperature in at least one predetermined region of the processing chamber.
Abstract:
For use in the fabrication of electronic circuit modules, there is provided a heating furnace which can be arbitrarily set in a desired temperature profile. The furnace includes a plural number of independently controllable heaters located in spaced positions to provide a plural number of heating zones in the furnace, and a plural number of cooling panels provided in the heating zones of the respective heaters. Each heater is independently controlled according to a specified type of substrate to establish a temperature profile for the specified substrate type in the furnace to carry out the curing of a sealing synthetic resin material of a semiconductor device and the reflow soldering of surface mounting devices in one and single furnace.
Abstract:
Apparatus and method for superplastic forming. The workpiece is held between a pair of dies that are electrically and thermally nonconductive, and is heated inductively by a coil embedded within the dies.
Abstract:
A shaft bearing is formed from an aluminum alloy that has approximately 8% Sn, 4% Si, 2% Pb and 1% Cu on a weight percentage basis. The tin has an average particle size less than five microns and the silicon has an average particle size less than 3.5 microns. The alloy is formed into a continuous solid strip by a quench casting operation, wherein molten alloy is fed into an interface between two internally-cooled rolls to freeze the alloy into a solid strip condition in less than one second. The aluminum alloy strip is pressure bonded to a steel backing strip to form a composite strip useful in forming a shaft bearing. During the pressure bonding step the thickness of the aluminum alloy strip is significantly reduced while the thickness of the steel strip remains essentially unchanged.