Disclosed is a method of brazing articles together to form at least one braze defined by complementarily curved faying surfaces on the articles, the faying surfaces each having at least one region of curvature comprising at least one point from which the surface curves in more than one direction, the method comprising the steps of: a) disposing between the complementarily curved faying surfaces at least one amorphous brazing alloy preform of complementary curvature at least in part to said at least one region of the complementarily curved faying surfaces to conform to the complementarily curved faying surfaces in said region; and b) heating the articles and at least one amorphous brazing alloy preform to a brazing temperature at which the amorphous brazing alloy flows and brazes. and brazing alloy preforms for use in such methods. Methods of forming an article comprising a curved surface from a sheet of an amorphous metal alloy are disclosed, by applying heat from a fluid to a sheet of the amorphous metal alloy to raise at least a portion of the sheet to a temperature above the glass transition temperature T.sub.g and below the crystallization temperature T.sub.x.

The present invention provides an Al—Mg—Si-based hot forming aluminum alloy plate which has not only high age-hardening property but also a high m value in a high strain rate range and excellent surface properties after forming and which is suitable for hot forming. The hot forming aluminum alloy plate comprises an aluminum alloy comprising 0.3 to 1.8 mass % Mg, 0.6 to 2.0 mass % Si and 0.04 to 0.20 mass % Fe. In the aluminum alloy, Mn content is restricted to 0.030 mass % or less, and Cr content is restricted to 0.030 mass % or less, and a balance comprises Al and unavoidable impurities. The hot forming aluminum alloy plate has an electrical conductivity of 60% or less according to IACS %. A production method of the hot forming aluminum alloy plate is also provided.

The present invention provides an Al—Mg—Si-based hot forming aluminum alloy plate which has not only high age-hardening property but also a high m value in a high strain rate range and excellent surface properties after forming and which is suitable for hot forming. The hot forming aluminum alloy plate comprises an aluminum alloy comprising 0.3 to 1.8 mass % Mg, 0.6 to 2.0 mass % Si and 0.04 to 0.20 mass % Fe. In the aluminum alloy, Mn content is restricted to 0.030 mass % or less, and Cr content is restricted to 0.030 mass % or less, and a balance comprises Al and unavoidable impurities. The hot forming aluminum alloy plate has an electrical conductivity of 60% or less according to IACS %. A production method of the hot forming aluminum alloy plate is also provided.

A method of producing an integrated monolithic aluminum structure including providing an 7xxx-series aluminum alloy plate with a predetermined thickness of at least 10 mm, and wherein the plate has been solution heat treated and stretched, heat-treating the plate product in a first of a plurality of artificial ageing steps required to achieve a final temper state, high-energy hydroforming the plate against a forming surface of a rigid die having a contour with a desired curvature of the integrated monolithic aluminum structure, the high energy forming causing the aluminum alloy plate to conform to the forming surface contour to at least one of a uniaxial curvature and a biaxial curvature, heat-treating the integrated monolithic aluminum structure through a remaining ageing step of the ageing steps to achieve a desired final temper, and machining the high-energy formed structure to a near-final or final machined integrated monolithic aluminum structure.

A method of producing an integrated monolithic aluminum structure including providing an 7xxx-series aluminum alloy plate with a predetermined thickness of at least 10 mm, and wherein the plate has been solution heat treated and stretched, heat-treating the plate product in a first of a plurality of artificial ageing steps required to achieve a final temper state, high-energy hydroforming the plate against a forming surface of a rigid die having a contour with a desired curvature of the integrated monolithic aluminum structure, the high energy forming causing the aluminum alloy plate to conform to the forming surface contour to at least one of a uniaxial curvature and a biaxial curvature, heat-treating the integrated monolithic aluminum structure through a remaining ageing step of the ageing steps to achieve a desired final temper, and machining the high-energy formed structure to a near-final or final machined integrated monolithic aluminum structure.

Implementations are provided for fabricating a finished workpiece having a shaped portion. One implementation includes: a superplastic formation diffusion bonding (SPFDB) component; a cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) component; and a mold having a concavity. Various configurations can operate on a workpiece with the SPFDB and CSAM components in different orders. An implementation is configured to cold spray (with the CSAM component) an additive material onto the workpiece; and perform superplastic forming (with the SPFDB component) on the workpiece with the mold, thereby rendering the workpiece into the finished workpiece having the shaped portion. The shaped portion conforms to a shape defined by the concavity. Cold spraying results in an increased thickness of the finished workpiece in a target region, which can provide structural reinforcement, and which can have a tapered edge. The workpiece can be a metal substrate made of titanium, aluminum, stainless steel, or another material.

A method of manufacturing a complex-shaped metal part, including the steps of applying a metallic sheath around a sheet metal workpiece and applying an electric current through the workpiece in the metallic sheath to heat the workpiece. The method also includes shaping the workpiece in the metallic sheath into a complex-shaped metal part while it is being heated. The shaping can be performed between two ceramic dies or using other techniques for forming complex shapes and curvatures into the workpiece. The method then may include cooling the complex-shaped metal part and removing the metallic sheath from the complex-shaped metal part. This method can allow reactive and refractory material to be safely heated without oxidation when heating/forming in air when the workpiece is sealed within a sacrificial stainless steel or nickel alloy envelope to protect the enclosed workpiece.

Systems and methods are provided for creating precursors for consolidating composite parts. One embodiment is a method for forming a metallic structure. The method includes forming a precursor for a pressure membrane that includes a contour having a linearized length corresponding with a linearized length of a surface of a forming tool. The method also includes affixing a perimeter of the precursor to a perimeter of a base member, leaving a volume between the base member and the precursor, altering a shape of the precursor at a superplastic temperature by forcing the precursor into complementary contact with the surface of the forming tool, and setting the shape of the precursor while the precursor is held in complementary contact.

A vehicle floor panel is provided in which a honeycomb core made of metal sandwiched and adhered between two CFRP plates is one in which a large number of core units formed into a polygon shape are continuous within one plane so as to share a side of the polygon. Since closed-section parts formed by a hat-shaped cross section part formed along the side and one CFRP plate are continuous with each other at a vertex of the polygon of the adjacent core units, not only is it possible to lighten the weight by opening the interior of the polygon (P) shape core unit, but it is also possible to enhance the energy-absorbing performance by dispersing and transmitting a collision load inputted into one direction of the floor panel toward a plurality of other directions because the high strength load transmission path is continuous with other load transmission paths.

A vehicle floor panel is provided in which a honeycomb core made of metal sandwiched and adhered between two CFRP plates is one in which a large number of core units formed into a polygon shape are continuous within one plane so as to share a side of the polygon. Since closed-section parts formed by a hat-shaped cross section part formed along the side and one CFRP plate are continuous with each other at a vertex of the polygon of the adjacent core units, not only is it possible to lighten the weight by opening the interior of the polygon (P) shape core unit, but it is also possible to enhance the energy-absorbing performance by dispersing and transmitting a collision load inputted into one direction of the floor panel toward a plurality of other directions because the high strength load transmission path is continuous with other load transmission paths.