US 12,291,769 B2
Method of producing a high-energy hydroformed structure from a 7XXX-series alloy
Sunil Khosla, Koblenz (DE); Philippe Meyer, Koblenz (DE); Achim Bürger, Koblenz (DE); Sabine Maria Spangel, Koblenz (DE); and Andreas Harald Bach, Koblenz (DE)
Assigned to AIRBUS SAS, Blagnac (FR)
Appl. No. 17/291,887
Filed by Airbus SAS, Blagnac (FR)
PCT Filed Oct. 29, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/079533
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 6, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/099124, PCT Pub. Date May 22, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18205725 (EP), filed on Nov. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0002853 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C22F 1/053 (2006.01); B21D 26/021 (2011.01); C22C 21/10 (2006.01)
CPC C22F 1/053 (2013.01) [B21D 26/021 (2013.01); C22C 21/10 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of producing an integrated monolithic aluminum structure, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an aluminum alloy plate with a predetermined thickness of at least 25.4 mm, wherein the aluminum alloy plate is a 7xxx-series alloy provided in a W-temper;
optionally pre-machining of the aluminum alloy plate to an intermediate machined structure;
high-energy hydroforming of the plate or optional intermediate machined structure against a forming surface of a rigid die having a contour in accordance with a desired curvature of the integrated monolithic aluminum structure, the high-energy hydroforming causing the plate or the optional intermediate machined structure to conform to the contour of the forming surface to at least one of a uniaxial curvature and a biaxial curvature;
solution heat-treating and cooling of the high-energy hydroformed plate or the optional intermediate machined structure;
stress-relieving of the solution heat-treated high-energy hydroformed plate or optional intermediate machined structure through compressive forming in one or more next high-energy hydroforming steps;
machining of the solution heat-treated high-energy hydroformed plate or the optional intermediate machined structure to a final machined integrated monolithic aluminum structure; and
ageing of the final integrated monolithic aluminum structure to a desired temper,
wherein following solution heat-treating and cooling of the high-energy hydroformed plate or the optional intermediate machined structure and stress-relieving of the solution heat-treated high-energy hydroformed plate or optional intermediate machined structure through compressive forming in one or more next high-energy hydroforming steps, in that order, the solution heat-treated high-energy hydroformed plate or the optional intermediate machined structure is aged to a desired temper and then machined to a final machined integrated monolithic aluminum structure.