A method for manufacturing an aircraft leading edge panel, includes a step of overmoulding a coating onto a sheet positioned in a cavity of a mould, which cavity is delimited by a shaping surface which exhibits an optimized surface finish. The coating includes, after the overmoulding step, an exterior face which corresponds to the exterior face of the panel that is to be obtained and which exhibits an optimized surface finish conferred by the shaping surface of the mould. A panel may be obtained using this method and a leading edge includes at least one such panel. Because of the optimized surface finish of the exterior surface thereof, the panel contributes to extending the regions of laminar flow.

A method for manufacturing a leading edge comprising a structure and at least one outer wall, the manufacturing method comprising a step of mounting of the structure and an assembly step aiming to link the structure and the outer wall during which the outer wall is held pressed against a conformation surface having a profile identical to a theoretical outer surface configured to limit aerodynamic disturbances. This manufacturing method makes it possible to improve the aerodynamic efficiencies of the leading edge thus obtained and of the aerodynamic aircraft profile incorporating same.

A method for manufacturing a leading edge comprising a structure and at least one outer wall, the manufacturing method comprising a step of mounting of the structure and an assembly step aiming to link the structure and the outer wall during which the outer wall is held pressed against a conformation surface having a profile identical to a theoretical outer surface configured to limit aerodynamic disturbances. This manufacturing method makes it possible to improve the aerodynamic efficiencies of the leading edge thus obtained and of the aerodynamic aircraft profile incorporating same.

A method for forming a large-size curved thin-walled metal skin is disclosed, wherein the position and size characteristics of stiffeners on a curved panel is extracted; the thickness of the curved panel and the thin-walled skin after assembly is assumed to be m, and a forming surface of the punch is offset outwards along a normal line by the thickness m to obtain the characteristics of the inner surface of a female die; the number of the discrete support moulds is set to be the same as the number n of the stiffeners based on the size and distribution of the stiffeners on the curved panel; and the punch and the female die combined with the discrete support moulds are used to carry out stamping of a curved thin-walled slab to obtain a required thin-walled skin component.

Methods are disclosed for forming metal workpieces made from a heat-treatable metal that has been shaped and tempered according to specified protocols that facilitate formation of large contoured unitary metal structures having welds that are retained in the finished structure, and finished metal structures made according to such methods.

An exterior panel for hypersonic transport vehicles is formed of a superplastic metal alloy such as titanium for accommodating high thermal stresses of hypersonic flight. The exterior panel, designed as re-usable on such transport vehicles, includes an exterior skin configured for atmospheric exposure, and an interior skin configured for attachment to structural frame members of the transport vehicles. An intermediate skin is situated between a pair of multicellular cores; each multicellular core is sandwiched between the exterior and interior skins, one core being situated between the exterior and intermediate skins, while the other is situated between the intermediate and interior skins. An airflow channel (AFC) extends through at least one of the multicellular cores for cooling of the exterior panel. Each multicellular core is superplastic formed and diffusion bonded to the other, as well as to its respective pair of skins to form an exterior panel having a unified structure.

An exterior panel is formed of superplastic materials, including an exterior skin of titanium to accommodate high thermal stresses imposed on hypersonic transport vehicles during hypersonic flight. The exterior skin is fixed to an underlying reinforcing skeletal structure consisting of a superplastic formable reinforcement (SFR) layer, for example a titanium, zirconium, and molybdenum (TZM) alloy, which supports the exterior skin whenever the latter may be heated to temperatures exceeding 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. The exterior panel includes a separate interior skin configured for attachment to a frame member such as a rib, stringer, or spar of the hypersonic transport vehicle. A multicellular core is sandwiched between the exterior and interior skins to impart tensile and compressive strength to the exterior panel. In one disclosed method, the core is superplastic formed and diffusion bonded to the exterior and interior skins.

A method, system, and apparatus for a part forming system. The part forming system comprises a field shaper having a cavity configured to receive a workpiece and a die. The field shaper has a number of dimensions based on being inserted into a main coil. The workpiece is bent to form a part with a desired shape when an electromagnetic field from the main coil is applied to the field shaper while the field shaper is located within the main coil.

A method, system, and apparatus for a part forming system. The part forming system comprises a field shaper having a cavity configured to receive a workpiece and a die. The field shaper has a number of dimensions based on being inserted into a main coil. The workpiece is bent to form a part with a desired shape when an electromagnetic field from the main coil is applied to the field shaper while the field shaper is located within the main coil.

Systems, devices, and methods for fabricating finished parts include a system that includes a plurality of die assemblies located at a plurality of respective locations, each die assembly being configured to fabricate a respective finished part. The system further includes a movable gantry press and a robot, each configured to move between the plurality of respective locations. The system further includes a controller configured to receive a input to fabricate a finished part and identify a die assembly of the plurality of die assemblies. The controller is further configured to instruct the movable gantry press and the robot to move to the location of the die assembly. The controller is further configured to instruct the robot to load a blank into the die assembly, and instruct the movable gantry press to operate the die assembly to fabricate the finished part.