Rubber Pad Forming For Large Aerospace Parts

An Aerospace company recently approached Jones Metal Products about building two Apache Helicopters. They wanted us to quote 130 different part numbers, but only wanted two each. The challenge was to lower our tooling cost so that they afford to complete this project. The parts were simple forms, with no parts deeper than 3 inches. Usually, blocks are made from plastic resin and then formed on hydroform presses which use oil pressure to form the material over the blocks. The limitation of hydroforming is a 32 inch blank and a 27 inch forming area. Some of the aerospace customer’s parts were 48 inches in length. To solve the problem, one alternative required breaking the parts down into smaller pieces and welding them together, but the welding was very expensive. The customer offered to triple our tooling and part cost on the larger parts if we could figure out a way to form the larger parts in one piece and save the welding.

After researching the situation further, our engineering staff discovered an old forming method for aerospace parts called Rubber Pad Forming. Instead of forming the material with oil pressure in the hydroform, we made a 60 inch die with rubber pads that when pressurized, forms the material over a plastic shape.

By using the Rubber Pad Forming, Jones Metal Products was able to help this customer meet their market demand in the cost range that fits their profit model. Everybody wins. No-quoting this project would have been the easy way out, but here at Jones Metal Products, we take pride in our innovative approach to problem solving, using old and new forming technologies to deliver quality, cost effective parts for our partners.

About Jones Metal Products-Based in West Lafayette, Ohio, JMP provides world class hydroforming, deep draw stamping, aluminum heat treating and vacuum heat treating services for the aerospace and defense markets.