The present invention provides a method of explosively forming a helical tube from at least one thin-walled cylinder using a tooling assembly. The method includes inserting the at least one thin-walled cylinder into a die of the tooling assembly. The die surrounds the at least one thin-walled cylinder and includes an interior surface that defines a helical thread pattern. The method further includes surrounding the at least one thin-walled cylinder and the die with a casing of the tooling assembly. A cavity is defined by the casing and the thin-walled cylinder. The method further includes positioning an explosive charge within the cavity. The method additionally includes at least partially submerging the tooling assembly. The method further includes detonating the explosive charge. As a result, the at least one thin-walled cylinder is formed into a helical tube that corresponds with helical thread pattern of the interior surface of the die.

The present invention provides a method of explosively forming a helical tube from at least one thin-walled cylinder using a tooling assembly. The method includes inserting the at least one thin-walled cylinder into a die of the tooling assembly. The die surrounds the at least one thin-walled cylinder and includes an interior surface that defines a helical thread pattern. The method further includes surrounding the at least one thin-walled cylinder and the die with a casing of the tooling assembly. A cavity is defined by the casing and the thin-walled cylinder. The method further includes positioning an explosive charge within the cavity. The method additionally includes at least partially submerging the tooling assembly. The method further includes detonating the explosive charge. As a result, the at least one thin-walled cylinder is formed into a helical tube that corresponds with helical thread pattern of the interior surface of the die.

A shaped charge assembly for selectively expanding a wall of a tubular includes first and second explosive units that are each symmetrical about an axis of revolution. Each explosive unit includes an explosive material that is liner-less. The first and second explosive units comprise a predetermined amount of explosive sufficient to expand, without puncturing, at least a portion of the wall of the tubular into a protrusion extending outward into an annulus adjacent the wall of the tubular.

The present invention provides a method of explosively forming a helical tube from at least one thin-walled cylinder using a tooling assembly. The method includes inserting the at least one thin-walled cylinder into a die of the tooling assembly. The die surrounds the at least one thin-walled cylinder and includes an interior surface that defines a helical thread pattern. The method further includes surrounding the at least one thin-walled cylinder and the die with a casing of the tooling assembly. A cavity is defined by the casing and the thin-walled cylinder. The method further includes positioning an explosive charge within the cavity. The method additionally includes at least partially submerging the tooling assembly. The method further includes detonating the explosive charge. As a result, the at least one thin-walled cylinder is formed into a helical tube that corresponds with helical thread pattern of the interior surface of the die.

The present invention provides a method of explosively forming a helical tube from at least one thin-walled cylinder using a tooling assembly. The method includes inserting the at least one thin-walled cylinder into a die of the tooling assembly. The die surrounds the at least one thin-walled cylinder and includes an interior surface that defines a helical thread pattern. The method further includes surrounding the at least one thin-walled cylinder and the die with a casing of the tooling assembly. A cavity is defined by the casing and the thin-walled cylinder. The method further includes positioning an explosive charge within the cavity. The method additionally includes at least partially submerging the tooling assembly. The method further includes detonating the explosive charge. As a result, the at least one thin-walled cylinder is formed into a helical tube that corresponds with helical thread pattern of the interior surface of the die.

A method of producing an integrated monolithic aluminum structure, comprising: providing an aluminum alloy plate with a thickness of at least 38.1 mm, wherein the plate is a 2xxx-series alloy in a T3-temper and has a composition comprising, in wt. %: Cu 3.8-4.5, Mn 0.3-0.8, Mg 1.1-1.6, Si up to 0.15, Fe up to 0.20, Cr up to 0.10, Zn up to 0.25, Ti up to 0.15, Ag up to 0.10, balance aluminum; optionally pre-machining the plate to an intermediate machined structure; high-energy hydroforming the plate or intermediate structure against a rigid die forming surface having a desired curvature contour of the integrated monolithic aluminum structure, causing the plate or the intermediate structure to conform to the forming surface contour; machining or mechanical milling the high-energy formed structure to a near-final or final machined integrated monolithic aluminum structure; ageing the final integrated monolithic aluminum structure to a desired temper.

An explosion forming apparatus (10) that preferably utilizes a shock wave (42) directed along a work piece (12) to progressively conform the work piece to a contour die cavity (44).

An explosion forming apparatus (10) that preferably utilizes a shock wave (42) directed along a work piece (12) to progressively conform the work piece to a contour die cavity (44).

An impact forming device and method for local small features on a metal thin-walled curved-surface part. The impact forming device includes impact forming dies, impact loading units and a forming supporting die, wherein the impact forming die is provided with an impact forming part, and the impact forming part is a convex part corresponding to a local small feature; the forming supporting die can support and fix a metal thin-walled curved-surface part without forming local small features, and the forming supporting die is provided with concave parts matched with the impact forming parts; and the impact loading unit includes a guide rail, an explosive ball and a detonating block, under the impact loading of the impact loading units, the impact forming parts can impact the metal thin-walled curved-surface part without forming local small features under the matching action of the concave parts to form the local small features.

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.