A component of a vehicle structure is obtained by a hot forming operation on a hybrid panel having a sheet element of light alloy and a sheet of plastic material. The hybrid panel is hot formed by pressing it against a forming surface of a mould element by a pressurized gas or by a second mould element. Following this operation, the hybrid panel assumes a configuration corresponding to the forming surface, whereas the light alloy sheet element and the plastic material sheet constituting the hybrid panel adhere to each other following softening by heat of the plastic material. Before the hot forming step, a surface of said light alloy sheet element which must contact the plastic material sheet is subjected to a roughening treatment, thereby defining surface asperities between which the plastic material of the plastic material sheet is inserted when it is softened by heat.

A hot blow forming method for the aluminum alloy sheet carries out a hot blow forming to an aluminum alloy sheet using a first metal mold being a female mold for forming having a protruding surface portion on an inside surface thereof and a second metal mold for gas introduction. Immediately prior to the hot blow forming, a temperature (T1) of the aluminum alloy sheet and a temperature (T2) of the first metal mold satisfy a relation (T1)-(T2)30 C. and the temperature (T2) is equal to or higher than 400 C. In the hot blow forming, the aluminum alloy sheet is made to be brought into contact with at least a part of the protruding surface portion of the first metal mold within 30 seconds from a start of the gas introduction from the second metal mold.

A hot blow forming method for the aluminum alloy sheet carries out a hot blow forming to an aluminum alloy sheet using a first metal mold being a female mold for forming having a protruding surface portion on an inside surface thereof and a second metal mold for gas introduction. Immediately prior to the hot blow forming, a temperature (T1) of the aluminum alloy sheet and a temperature (T2) of the first metal mold satisfy a relation (T1)-(T2)30 C. and the temperature (T2) is equal to or higher than 400 C. In the hot blow forming, the aluminum alloy sheet is made to be brought into contact with at least a part of the protruding surface portion of the first metal mold within 30 seconds from a start of the gas introduction from the second metal mold.

An assembly for forming multiple nacelle components is disclosed. In accordance with various embodiments, the assembly includes a plurality of dies arranged about a central axis. A first one of the plurality of dies has a first wall and a first cavity extending through the first wall and a second one of the plurality of dies has a second wall and a second cavity extending through the second wall. The first wall and the second wall are configured to sandwich a pair of metal blanks there between. In various embodiments, a structural ring is configured to surround the plurality of dies.

An assembly for forming multiple nacelle components is disclosed. In accordance with various embodiments, the assembly includes a plurality of dies arranged about a central axis. A first one of the plurality of dies has a first wall and a first cavity extending through the first wall and a second one of the plurality of dies has a second wall and a second cavity extending through the second wall. The first wall and the second wall are configured to sandwich a pair of metal blanks there between. In various embodiments, a structural ring is configured to surround the plurality of dies.

A metal sheet with attachment points for attaching the metal sheet to a support structure has a contour cut introduced in a sheet surface of the metal sheet, wherein the contour cut extends transversely to a connection line extending between a first and a second one of the attachment points. The contour cut is positioned relative to the first attachment point such that a vibration line extending as far as the first attachment point when the contour cut is not present is interrupted by the contour cut.

A metal sheet with attachment points for attaching the metal sheet to a support structure has a contour cut introduced in a sheet surface of the metal sheet, wherein the contour cut extends transversely to a connection line extending between a first and a second one of the attachment points. The contour cut is positioned relative to the first attachment point such that a vibration line extending as far as the first attachment point when the contour cut is not present is interrupted by the contour cut.

A machine can form a work piece into a bowl subcomponent of a steel pan musical instrument. The machine includes a pressure lid and a die mold. The die mold may be formed of non-metal layers stacked between metal layers. In example operation, a blank or work piece is inserted between the lid and die mold. The lid is pressed down (e.g., by a hydraulic ram), forcing a portion of the blank into a face groove of the die mold for sealing. Pressurized water or other fluid introduced between the lid and the blank exerts pressure on the sealed portion of the blank and stretches the blank to conform to a bowl shape of the die mold. Note regions can be introduced by this machine-performed shaping and/or by subsequent manual operations to further prepare the work piece for incorporation into a steel pan musical instrument.

Aircraft components are produced by creep age forming (CAF) processes whereby a flat plate is initially subjected to CAF processing to produce a curved product preform which is thereafter machined to remove material therefrom so as to produce the final aircraft component.

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.