Claims
- 1. A method, comprising:
providing a machine tool having a backing surface; positioning a sheet of foil adjacent the backing surface; securing the sheet of foil to the machine tool; and cutting at least one continuous circular shaped groove in the sheet of foil with a cutting tool.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sheet of foil having a thickness less than about 0.010 inches, and wherein the sheet of foil is formed of orthorhombic titanium foil.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein in said cutting the cutting tool forming the groove with a width less than about 0.008 inches and a depth less than about 0.004 inches.
- 4. The method of claim 1, which further includes drawing the sheet of foil against the backing surface with a vacuum force.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein in said providing the backing surface including a plurality of spaced openings adapted for passing the vacuum force therethrough and onto the sheet of foil.
- 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said drawing does not pull a portion of the sheet of foil into the plurality of spaced openings and thereby substantially preventing dimpling of the foil sheet.
- 7. The method of claim 4, which further includes mechanically affixing the sheet of foil to the backing surface.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said cutting including moving the cutting tool to define the groove in a spiral shape.
- 9. The method of claim 1, which further includes orienting the cutting tool to have a neutral rake angle with respect to the sheet of foil.
- 10. The method of claim 1, which further includes rotating the machine tool with the sheet of foil secured thereto and moving the cutting tool with respect to the sheet of foil.
- 11. The method of claim 10, wherein said rotating is at about 160 revolutions per minute and said moving is at about 1.75 in/min.
- 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said cutting includes imparting a cutting speed of about 300 surface feet per minute between the sheet of foil and the cutting tool.
- 13. The method of claim 1, which further includes flattening the sheet of foil by creep forming.
- 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the sheet of foil having a thickness less than about 0.010 inches;
wherein in said cutting the cutting tool forming the groove with a width less than about 0.008 inches and a depth less than about 0.004 inches; which further includes drawing the sheet of foil against the backing surface with a vacuum force; wherein in said providing the backing surface including a plurality of spaced openings adapted for passing the vacuum force therethrough and to suck the sheet of foil against the backing surface; and which further includes mechanically affixing at least a portion of the sheet of foil to the backing surface.
- 15. The method of claim 14, which further includes providing a reinforcement fiber; and
which further includes arranging the reinforcement fiber within the continuous circular shaped groove.
- 16. The method of claim 15, which further includes stacking another sheet of foil on the sheet of foil; and
subjecting the sheets of foil and the reinforcement fiber to a temperature and pressure cycle sufficient to consolidate and bond the sheets of foil together.
- 17. The method of claim 1, which further includes providing a plurality of alignment pins extending from the machine tool;
wherein the sheet of foil includes a plurality of alignment apertures; and which further includes placing the plurality of alignment apertures in alignment with the plurality of alignment pins prior to said positioning.
- 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one continuous circular shaped groove having a starting point and an ending point; and
wherein said cutting includes forming the starting point at a first predetermined location and the ending point at a second predetermined location.
- 19. A method, comprising:
providing a machine tool having a backing surface; positioning a sheet of foil adjacent the backing surface; drawing the sheet of foil against the backing surface with a vacuum; mechanically coupling the sheet of foil to the machine tool; and cutting at least one continuous groove through a three hundred and sixty degree revolution in the sheet of foil with a cutting tool.
- 20. The method of claim 19, which further includes cutting the sheet of foil to a predetermined size prior to said positioning, and wherein the sheet of foil having a thickness less than about 0.010 inches.
- 21. The method of claim 19, which further includes preventing dimpling of the sheet of foil.
- 22. A method, comprising:
positioning a sheet of orthorhombic titanium foil on a surface of a machine tool; holding the sheet of orthorhombic titanium foil against the surface of the machine tool with one of a vacuum and adhesive; mechanically securing the sheet of orthorhombic titanium foil with the surface of the machine tool; rotating the surface of the machine tool; orienting a single point cutting tool with respect to the orthorhombic titanium foil sheet; and cutting at least one continuous circular shaped groove on a side of the orthorhombic titanium foil sheet with the cutting tool, wherein a starting point of said cutting is radially inward on the sheet with respect to an ending point of said cutting.
- 23. The method of claim 22, wherein said cutting defining a continuous spiral shaped groove.
- 24. The method of claim 23, which further includes varying a traverse speed of the cutting tool with respect to the sheet to vary pitch between adjacent spaced portions of the groove.
- 25. A composite preform, comprising:
a foil member having thickness less than about 0.010 inches and at least one continuous circular shaped groove cut therein that is consistent with the mechanical removal of material with a cutting tool, and wherein said circular shaped groove having a width less than about 0.008 inches and a depth less than about 0.004 inches.
- 26. The composite preform of claim 25, wherein said foil member is formed of a high temperature titanium alloy foil.
- 27. The composite preform of claim 25, wherein said foil member is formed of a orthorhombic titanium material.
- 28. The composite preform of claim 25, wherein said at least one continuous circular shaped groove defines a spiral.
- 29. The composite preform of claim 25, wherein said at least one continuous circular shaped groove defines a plurality of substantially concentric groves.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications No. 60/231,615 entitled Mechanically Grooved Sheet and Method of Manufacture and No. 60/231,616 entitled Method of Manufacturing a Metal Matrix Composite Structure. The above Provisional Patent Applications were filed on Sep. 11, 2000 and are incorporated herein by reference. This application is related to concurrently filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ entitled Mechanically Grooved Sheet and Method of Manufacture.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60231615 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
|
60231616 |
Sep 2000 |
US |