Composite dies and method of making the same

• US 9,302,310 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kiridena, Vijitha Senaka, Xia, Zhiyong Cedric, Zaluzec, Matthew John
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, David B
• Application Number:
  US14/219,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20150266079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 724/76, 761/071
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 37/01 Selection of materials
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 37/16 Heating or cooling

Abstract

In one or more embodiments, a composite die includes a die face defining a protrusion and including a first metal, and a die base supporting the die face, the die base including a housing, a first filler positioned within the housing and contacting the protrusion, and a bridging member reinforcing the housing, the housing including a second metal different than the first metal.

Claims

1. A composite die comprising:

a die face defining first and second protrusions spaced apart from each other and including a first metal; and

a die base supporting the die face, the die base including a housing with a second metal different than the first metal, a first filler positioned within the housing and supporting the first protrusion, a second filler different from the first filler in composition and supporting the second protrusion, and a bridging member reinforcing the housing.

2. The composite die of claim 1, further comprising a heat-conductive piping unit contacting the die base.

3. The composite die of claim 2, wherein the heat-conductive piping unit includes a conformal piping portion conforming to a corresponding shape of at least one of the die face and the die base.

4. The composite die of claim 1, wherein the first protrusion protrudes in a first direction and the second protrusion protrudes in a second direction different from the first direction.

5. The composite die of claim 1, wherein the die face includes a three-dimensional metallic free form produced by incremental forming.

6. The composite die of claim 1, wherein the first filler includes a third metal different than the first or the second metal.

7. The composite die of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a number of side walls and a floor joined to the number of side walls.

8. The composite die of claim 7, wherein at least two of the number of side walls differ from each other in dimension.

9. A composite die comprising:

a die face defining a protrusion and including a first metal;

a die base including a filler and a second metal and supporting the die face, the filler including a third metal different than the first or the second metal; and

a heat-conductive piping unit contacting the die base.

10. The composite die of claim 9, wherein the heat-conductive piping unit includes a conformal piping portion conforming to a corresponding shape of at least one of the die face and the die base.

11. The composite die of claim 9, wherein the protrusion includes first and second protrusions spaced apart from each other.

12. The composite die of claim 11, wherein the first protrusion protrudes in a first direction and the second protrusion protrudes in a second direction different from the first direction.

13. The composite die of claim 12, wherein the filler includes a first filler supporting the first protrusion and a second filler supporting the second protrusion, the first filler being different than the second filler in composition.

14. The composite die of claim 9, further comprising a housing enclosing the filler, the housing including a number of side walls and a floor joined to the number of side walls.

15. The composite die of claim 14, wherein at least two of the number of side walls differ from each other in dimension.

16. A composite die comprising:

a die face defining first and second protrusions spaced apart from each other;

a die base including a filler and supporting the die face; and

a heat-conductive piping unit contacting the die base.

17. The composite die of claim 16, wherein the first protrusion protrudes in a first direction and the second protrusion protrudes in a second direction different from the first direction.

18. The composite die of claim 16, wherein the filler includes a first filler supporting the first protrusion and a second filler supporting the second protrusion, the first filler being different than the second filler in composition.