Methods involving adding a removable fixating material to a partially manufactured workpiece to stabilize a plurality of partially formed objects therein for subsequent manufacturing. In one example, a workpiece of interconnected structures is manufactured comprising precursors to the discrete objects as a function of a workpiece computer model. Manufacturing the workpiece further includes forming valleys between adjacent partially formed objects so that interconnecting portions remain to interconnect the partially formed objects. Further, the methods include removing the interconnecting portions so as to liberate the plurality of objects from one another. In some embodiments, a temporary frame is formed from the workpiece along with the plurality of objects during manufacturing.

The method can include: using a mold, casting an encapsulation onto a workpiece including solidifying the encapsulation around the workpiece in the mold and extracting the encapsulation from the mold, and cooling the extracted encapsulation using a vortex tube.

A supporting device and method for a large thin-walled part is disclosed. The supporting device comprises a processing device and a supporting device. A workpiece is positioned between the processing device and the supporting device and is clamped at a periphery in a flexible clamping mode. A cutter in the processing device is connected with an iron core. A coil is wound on the iron core. When the coil is energized, a magnetic field is generated around the coil. A blade part of the cutter is in contact with a processing side of the workpiece. The supporting method combines the magnetorheological fluid technology with the jet supporting technology, and uses a jet impact force to offset part of a milling force. The current magnitude and winding mode of the coil are changed to control magnetic field intensity. The magnetorheological fluid is cured instantly to support the workpiece.

A freezing support device and method for a large thin-walled part, which belongs to the technical field of machining support. The present invention realizes freezing support for a large thin-walled part by a freezing system and an auxiliary system, wherein the freezing system comprises a heating source, a freezing source, flexible films, support plates, etc., and the auxiliary system comprises a rotating device, a moving plate and guide rails. The present invention utilizes ice with a certain thickness formed on a support side of a machining area and supports a workpiece through the ice, and the ice is always used as a support along with the progress of machining to have an effect of follow-up support. The present invention simplifies a support structure, and has the advantages of low cost, no contamination to a machine tool, and convenient use; plays a function of clamping the workpiece.

A method of supporting a cantilevered component mounted to a hub by locating a cassette in proximity to the cantilevered component, the cassette defining a volume for filling with an encapsulant; filling the volume with an encapsulant material; and causing the encapsulant to solidify to the cantilevered component to support the cantilevered component. The cantilevered component is preferably a blade on a bladed disc and the encapsulant provides support to change the vibration response of the blade during a subsequent machining step.

A method of cutting metallic foams that eliminates the problem of smeared surfaces is provided. The method involves infiltration of the foam with another material to serve as a support structure to the foam when being cut. The method can be executed using softer polymeric materials such as waxes, which are then frozen for machining. These materials are subsequently heated and removed from the foam. In a similar manner, epoxy material can be used, which requires no freezing. In this method, the epoxy material is burnt from the foam upon completion of machining. The method allows for machining foams using conventional machining processes, rather than non traditional methods such as electrical discharge machining.

The present invention relates to a workholding device and method, and specifically provides a workholding device for positioning a workpiece on a machining equipment, which comprises: a sacrificial tray for supporting the workpiece; a workholding layer formed of a curable material applied on the sacrificial tray, which secures the workpiece at a predetermined position on the sacrificial tray upon completion of the curing, wherein the sacrificial tray and the workholding layer are allowed to be damaged by a cutting head of the machining equipment during machining of the workpiece; a curable material collector arranged below the sacrificial tray to collect the curable material that detaches from the sacrificial tray during the application of the curable material, the curing of the curable material, and/or the machining of the workpiece; a curing processing unit comprising a controller and a curing rate regulator, wherein the controller controls the curing rate regulator to regulate curing rate of the curable material by changing at least one factor that affects curing; and a platform assembly for supporting the sacrificial tray, the curable material collector and the curing processing unit, which is configured to be removably installed on the machining equipment.

Disclosed is a method for machining a component, comprising: installing the component on a fixture, causing a medium of the fixture to solidify to encase a first portion of the component, applying a toolset to a second portion of the component that is outside of the solidified medium, and subsequent to applying the toolset, extracting the component from the fixture when the medium is in one of a liquid state or a semi-liquid state, where the medium has a melting-point temperature that is less than 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Disclosed is a fixture for machining a component, comprising: a medium configured to encase a first portion of the component when the medium is in a solidified state, and a toolset configured to be applied to a second portion of the component that is outside of the solidified medium, the medium having a melting-point temperature that is less than 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

A blocking tool and a method of using the blocking tool to sand a surface of a vehicle are disclosed. The blocking tool includes a first member having a length and having an outer periphery with a plurality of cuts formed therein. The plurality of cuts extend over at least about 70% of the length and each of the cuts penetrates the first member through an arc of at least about 70% of the outer periphery. The blocking tool also has a base member with a first surface, an oppositely aligned second surface, and a length. A portion of the outer periphery of the first member is secured to the first surface of the base member to form an integral blocking tool.

The method can include: using a mold, casting an encapsulation onto a workpiece including solidifying the encapsulation around the workpiece in the mold and extracting the encapsulation from the mold, and cooling the extracted encapsulation using a vortex tube.