US 12,319,994 B2
Method of producing a high-energy hydroformed structure from a 7xxx-series alloy
Philippe Meyer, Koblenz (DE); Sunil Khosla, 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. 17/273,067
Filed by Airbus SAS, Blagnac (FR)
PCT Filed Sep. 4, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/073548
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 3, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/049027, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 12, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18192734 (EP), filed on Sep. 5, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0340655 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. C22F 1/053 (2006.01); B21D 26/027 (2011.01); C22C 21/10 (2006.01)
CPC C22F 1/053 (2013.01) [B21D 26/027 (2013.01); C22C 21/10 (2013.01)] 16 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 38.1 mm, wherein the aluminum alloy plate is a 7xxx-series alloy provided in an F-temper or an O-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 into a high-energy hydroformed 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 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 structure;
machining of the solution heat-treated high-energy formed structure to a final machined integrated monolithic aluminum structure; and
ageing of the final integrated monolithic aluminum structure to a desired temper,
wherein said solution heat-treated structure is stress-relieved by compressive forming in a next high-energy hydroforming step.