Jones Metal’s outstanding reputation for deep draw hydroforming of parts for aircraft engines and exhaust systems extends to deep draw stamping of parts for the same markets. The resonator box, which plays a part in the reduction of the noise of an aircraft engine, is a good example of a deep draw stamped part. Read the rest of this entry »
Tech Talk
Hydroforming Parts for the Aerospace Industry
March 19, 2012Aerospace and aircraft manufacturers search for outside processes for many of the components needed in the assembly of their highly complex products, and when it comes to formed metal parts, they search for hydroforming. Hydroformed parts have minimal surface imperfections, because tight specifications on contour and flatness can be achieved, and exotic materials can be utilized.
Take the swirl cup, for example, which is a component in the exhaust system of a jet engine. Read the rest of this entry »
Benefits of Vacuum Heat Treatment
January 31, 2012Three of the great benefits of vacuum heat treatment are:
- Parts emerge ready for further forming
- Parts emerge without scaling or discoloration
- Parts require no further cleaning
It takes a vacuum heat treatment furnace to achieve these results. Essentially, parts are positioned in a special chamber. Oxygen is removed from the chamber and replaced with (usually) argon gas. The chamber is heated to up as much as 2400 degrees F. at a controlled rate, and then the temperature is lowered. “Soak” time depends on the “recipe” for the part and the particular material it is made of. A vacuum heat treatment cycle takes three to 24 hours and sometimes longer. The process is computer controlled to insure uniformity and repeatability. Read the rest of this entry »
Value of Hydroforming
January 31, 2012A true value of hydroforming is in the forming of parts without wrinkles or tears
The secret is in a unique fluid forming process, which offers advantages over conventional mechanical and hydraulic presses. The value of hydroforming has been proven over and over again in the past 50 years with the manufacture of metal parts for such markets and industries as commercial lighting, cookware, defense, aerospace, and land based power generation.
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History of Hydroforming
January 11, 2012Hydroforming, the alternative to conventional matched die metal forming, is a cost-effective forming solution, especially for lower volume production or parts with asymmetrical or irregular contours.
First Hydroforming Machine - 1957 - Herb Boyer, Joe McCrea, Ed Mulligan, Frank Jones, Dal Donovan
Hydroforming is often mentioned along with tube hydroforming and sheet metal hydroforming, all of which utilize the principles of fluid dynamics to form metal parts. Tube hydroforming, first referenced from an early 1900’s process, has made its name in the auto industry. Sheet metal hydroforming, likewise, has found its place in auto-body structures (H. Singh, Fundamentals of Hydroforming, 2003, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2003105327).
The following is a brief history of the hydroforming process which developed in a different direction to produce parts outside the auto industry and several of the advantages offered by this unique forming process.
Jones Metal: A Vacuum Heat Treatment Facility
January 11, 2012Jones Metal Products is a premier vacuum heat treatment facility, working to produce parts with excellent surface finishes and no discoloration or contamination due to oxidation.
Vacuum heat treating is ideal for ferrous metals such as:
- Bronze
- Steel
- Titanium Alloys
- Brass
Because a vacuum heat treatment oven operates with a complete absence of air and other gases, heat transfer through convection is prevented. Vacuum heat treating ensures that the parts being produced are not discolored or contaminated due to oxidation by burning off a fine layer of material from the surface of the part. As a result, parts that were vacuum heat treated are known for their excellent surface finishes.