Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A stack of titanium sheets are placed between a pair of pressurizable chambers in a vacuum chamber. One of the mating surfaces of each pair of mating surfaces has had a stop off material applied in a desired pattern to prevent diffusion bonding. A pump evacuates the vacuum chamber and heaters heat the stack to evaporate volatile binders from the stop off. When all the binder has been removed the stack is heated and the pressure in the pressurizable chambers is increased to cause a pair of resilient members to apply pressure on the stack to diffusion bond the sheets together. The volatile binder is removed quickly and oxidation of the titanium is prevented during baking out of the binder. The integral structure is then heated and internally pressurized to superplastically form one of the sheets to produce an article of predetermined shape. No welding of the sheets before bonding is required.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim