Method for Hydroforming Components

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This patent describes a method for hydroforming components in which an ionic liquid is used as the hydraulic fluid instead of traditional fluids like water or oil. Ionic liquids can withstand high temperatures and have much lower compressibility, making them particularly suitable for shaping metals and other materials at elevated temperatures. The invention also allows for more efficient forming processes and enables the production of complex, high-precision shapes.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Manufacturing automotive parts with complex geometries, such as camshafts or structural frames
• Producing lightweight and strong aerospace and transportation components
• Forming precision metal parts in electronics, medical devices, or industrial machinery
• Hydroforming processes requiring operation at high temperatures for advanced materials
• Shaping tubes, pipes, or enclosures for heat exchangers or other thermal management systems

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Allows hydroforming at much higher temperatures than with conventional hydraulic fluids
• Enables complex and precise shapes to be manufactured more efficiently
• Reduces the required pump power and energy consumption due to low compressibility of the ionic fluid
• Minimizes evaporative loss and workplace odor due to low vapor pressure of ionic fluids
• Increases equipment lifespan and reduces failure rates by lowering mechanical stresses
• Decreases material usage and component weight by enabling elimination of weld flanges and other added structures
• Provides chemical inertness, reducing the risk of fluid-induced material degradation

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Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

In the case of a method for hydroforming components in which a workpiece to be deformed is placed in a dividable mould and formed into a product with the desired shape by applying pressure to a hydraulic fluid serving as a pressure transmitting medium, an ionic liquid is used as the hydraulic fluid. The ionic liquids to be used according to the invention as hydraulic fluids in the hydroforming technique can, at present, be used up to very high temperatures. As a result, high-temperature hydroforming with liquids is advantageously possible. Furthermore, the low compressibility of ionic liquids has the effect of achieving a considerable increase in efficiency in the forming process.