Various industries, including the aerospace industry, have a need for complex structural components that are relatively free of residual stresses and are capable of being machined without failing. In particular, there is a need for curved finish machined components having generally L-shaped or U-shaped cross-sectional profiles that include various features that cause inconsistencies in the cross-sectional profile along the length of the component, such as gussets, fins, and tabs. Unfortunately, forming an L-shaped or U-shaped piece into a curved component and adding gussets, fins, and tabs using conventional methods such as forging, laser welding, fusion welding, and other known methods results in a finished component that has unacceptable levels of residual stress that remain in the component due, in principal part, to the inhomogenous deformation to which the component has been subjected during the forming and manufacturing process. Components having residual stresses are prone to failure and/or shape changes during further machining or use, and has weaker bonds between the base piece and the combined elements than would be preferred. Because of these drawbacks, these components must be formed by utilizing an original extrusion or rolled shape that includes the additional features over the entire length of the piece, and removing material from the piece as needed to define the desired features. This method not only significantly increases the weight and cost of the raw material required to manufacture the component, but also substantially increases the amount of time required to manufacture the component, as removing the unnecessary material from the rest of the cross section during final machining is a timely process requiring relative expensive machinery and skilled expertise. Thus, there remains a need for improved structural components and methods of manufacture of structural components that reduce both the amount of raw material required and the subsequent machining operations.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds