| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20100024924 | RECOVERY HEAT TREATMENT TO IMPROVE FORMABILITY OF MAGNESIUM ALLOYS - The formability of coiled and annealed (O-temper) magnesium alloy sheet material in high temperature forming operations is sometimes adversely affected by small amounts of cold work introduced into the fine grained material during handling of the coil and unwinding it to obtain blank workpieces for hot stamping, hot blow forming, or the like. When necessary, the formability of the sheet material with regions of hard worked microstructure may be improved by predetermining a recovery heat treatment using small portions of the material in formability tests. The recovery heat treatment, determined for the specific coiled stock, may then be applied to the material of the coil as it is used in making vehicle body panels or the like. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100192655 | CLEANING DIES FOR HOT FORMING OF ALUMINUM SHEETS - In substantial volume production operations involving hot blow forming or hot stamping of aluminum alloy sheet workpieces, debris largely comprised of particles of aluminum alloy material adheres to critical forming surfaces of the heated steel tools. This debris mars forming surfaces and causes defects in aluminum alloy parts formed against them. Such aluminum-rich debris may be reactively transformed to change its adherent properties and removed from tool surfaces without removing the heated tool from production. In one embodiment, a hot sacrificial magnesium sheet may be formed on the tool(s) to alloy with aluminum debris and carry it from the forming surface. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100282823 | MAGNETIC PARTICLE CONTAINING MATERIAL FOR FASTENING TOGETHER PARTS OR SUBSTRATES - In one exemplary embodiment, a high melting temperature fastening material may be prepared containing magnetic particles that is used to fasten two or more parts substrates together to form an integrated part. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20110048091 | FORMING OF COMPLEX SHAPES IN ALUMINUM AND MAGNESIUM ALLOY WORKPIECES - A billet of an aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy is formed by a combination of forming operations into a desired article of complex, but open shape. In a first step a billet is heated and extruded to form an extruded workpiece profile having at least first and second sections of different thicknesses. The extruded workpiece may be shaped so that the respective sections are at an angle to each other. The extruded workpiece is then further formed against a forming surface so that the shape of least one of the sections is further formed toward the shape of the article. The methods are suitable for efficient manufacture of many like complex shapes such as brackets and reinforcement members, and even container pans for computers and other electronic devices. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110048096 | EMBOSSED SHAPE MEMORY SHEET METAL ARTICLE - Electromagnetic forming methods suitable for creating surface features on a shape memory alloy are described. Features may be created over a range of scales, including those suitable for the generation of holographic images. Features, images, or patterns may be made capable of reversibly appearing and disappearing as a result of changes in temperature and may include temperature sensitive displays for automotive and other applications. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110062770 | CAST MAGNESIUM ALLOY WHEELS - A method of imparting superior fatigue performance to a vehicle wheel cast from a magnesium alloy by selective application of friction stir processing to regions of the casting known to be subject to high in-service stresses is described. The method may be particularly applicable to open wheel designs in which a plurality of spokes is used to connect the hub and rim portions of the wheel. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110071271 | SMART DEVICES BASED ON A DYNAMIC SHAPE MEMORY EFFECT FOR POLYMERS - Certain polymer materials, including perfluorosulfonic acid ionomers, have been found to be capable of being deformed from an initial permanent shape into three or more temporary shapes. An article thus formed from such a polymer material may be used initially in a final temporary shape. As the article is progressively heated, the polymer composition reverts successively from its final temporary shape through its intermediate temporary shapes. If a suitable temperature is reached, the original permanent shape is recovered. The article may be devised to serve successive functions in each of its several shapes. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110111246 | MODIFIED SURFACES USING FRICTION STIR PROCESSING - A procedure for incorporating particles to a predetermined depth in a body to develop a composite surface layer using friction stir processing is described. The process comprises; preparing the surface of the body; applying particulate matter to the prepared surface; selecting a friction stir tool with a pin length substantially equal to the desired composite layer thickness; using a friction stir process to frictionally heat, stir and intermix the particulate matter with the matrix of the article; and traversing the friction stir tool across the body. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110121223 | MAGNETORHEOLOGICAL FLUIDS AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING THE SAME - One embodiment includes a magnetorheological fluid having an on-state yield stress when a magnetic field is applied thereto and comprising a carrier fluid and magnetizable particles suspended in the carrier fluid, and wherein the suspension of the magnetizable particles in the carrier fluid remains essentially homogenous indefinitely in the absence of the magnetic field, and wherein the on-state yield stress of the magnetorheological fluid is greater than or equal to that of poly(alpha)olefin fluid containing the same concentration of magnetizable particles, and wherein the off-state viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid is between about 0.4 and about 12 Pascal-seconds at 40° C. | 05-26-2011 |
