;n9V\zru' <(1XC,k[mc?ed!못ǽF"si}e?>2:?#57\T&iΌI|>/=:86^hfht-ʻHh ۷o&Nz'h<=j  {Q7bfHQ/cb-/ǿ5 3>z̨f~$0 7F3FTlkn3MD)9ӚNYw+ g;b2soW4*4bG)B͒1B2 DQVذ3֐F&&'v`4\J2(؇9c65bN8<|>|tHwQS,>H|7sFU1h^bXǯ6@5HҐmi+3: {݁Y4&cF- KN,dJB9բNX _px̅,9UBjAyLzAKF1cVq ۙ$oNq"Czph]Uf.,x.('2+)pKIBNTfyHeHij؟jsUm_:sp2'mQ C,ً]J(gÐXZC;ff,͌2hHBD9TڻBc*!Cv, S18ݪɘOL:51,QϹ fk:VV8XC$[h:>#8 gTM*ʊ;TR.QK-6?ZJ :٢85jmLC|;V0o`1'XC9=,šp7;Ұ"@ `_QL-NlA]ߵ-R<`&7Ku>u֡mW+ 4ifX4՗ --W әɗg \S+!153*c`r0ȵ :'+xH\Ri%glSlZEPCA"b6?bEE{Dƺ 7F`6R_TF66cB`܏]#fe[ɼD8-<iTv(qe8mH!^ACHlٱ&E}dxPenPkRb\QrI )$1GC%8kfKVy]..hfwra55䟆X:&2iIv^=V(7ӮX\L!%<*䘊k}A }\8vm87ie厳<삒3JIb̌޲~ QECL PX2ʃVdP,̫_2ܓeȤb0t-39Ɩlyچ-,I|a>]=8̅LɶXDC nucZ$T+ B4@aY Blj߃?}pMF֌؝侘P3s0TSŴ6.8Sɛ?xQ QBcaŒ njDqiIY>,FXF W-KL($AwLV+d4{;\CWTc42F'OYQyr?,z}<4{KP,# Sc#uބAv0)_Y!iHCGC "?1k NEONY9MW P),y's,v1<>VT?X ;wtd3j@:;+|0<ŷn P%‡| 偮=s'2ab*#2{XEH$tqQܽ ,@؜̩bj(abp2$OAuuŸ,,`>s8S04g/^y`NnWo a}0%XB=*]V1g6]8:)Ȋ+ruas~#ϘH;S d~T=bclhBa'9Tg a?L54<k+A9屻EN]k׵$<+7/wq_xᚓ¥Ouݐ 8߁SY n< e~W-$%:W׮_xtςVl r3Qxpp+9FL!+?"U&i*s};2,kG#eڰʁX6xV/ 4cVg'5   Ljv04Ik _Rgw@t{Β2Xb-L!*܇Swc~yqj R,05jǩX Pİ1EǽF_EF486;?_t=}r9| _y'4S8۫T` -z6K^"_>lnf~m֨].=Aj7Z͢bM, "(X?~H!n n\3:BJ^\VlNQXK3[RUڭ*ċg,:WlmŵcqI#ݙ*J=uO0ҸwG# {9硙5;,gWj:- )lTQ241" Zms!c; }d]BS6baE4`9ޟ<2qޙG@3o7.ZOvَw4p/rE>:?[:C"#6,Z-grR3ȷt̄WQl{RO_ZHs`H"+ .!MJa,]@΁3;HԾ Clm{wAp)L:95#-7r2e%6 Iwvq7ۑ(ɬ<'KTê(v.јǮ=prO<@\O-9б aX4. PC!Y A5}@8'<s 0.lJG̾Qe'ro2Xe+sDHd0A>|Mm$SYl08vp!,q9$%b9fA>6[{~ϵr \Zv SA׷&Ss|;&i,BcZ{X@^!ϑA4Q~!x`êcNy҇V-\)vC?[`[ۤn˙?&v.O5- 5к]A%ɧsnf`͏I xh9ߩu>?,Kv;L(lݏ LZyJ

Slit Mask Blank Fabrication Development - Hydroforming

Hydroforming is a material forming process which uses a shaped tool and an inflatable rubber bladder to deform flat material into a desired shape. The images below show a prototype slit mask and the tooling required to make the blank. The images were taken at California Hydroforming, City of Industry, CA.

The advantages of hydroforming include fast processing times, excellent surface quality on both sides of the finished parts, consistent part dimensions, and great flexibility in terms of materials and thicknesses. The part shown below was formed from 0.64 mm (0.025") 2024 aluminum.

(Images can be clicked on to view a larger version)

Hydroforming of Aluminum Slit Mask Shells




Mr. David Bonafide of California Hydroforming, shown with a prototype mask blank. The blank is slightly undersized for the IMACS requirements, at about 500 mm in diameter and 64 mm deep.

Hydroforming Tool




This image shows one of the tools used to produce the mask above. The tool is placed on the working surface of the hydroforming press, the material is clamped in place, and then the bladder is brought in contact with the material and inflated.

Hydroforming Press




This image shows the largest press at Calif. Hydroforming, A Cincinatti Hydroform, which was used to produce our prototype. This machine can produce pressures of 10,000 PSI over the 600 mm diameter working area. ;n9V\zru' <(1XC,k[mc?ed!못ǽF"si}e?>2:?#57\T&iΌI|>/=:86^hfht-ʻHh ۷o&Nz'h<=j  {Q7bfHQ/cb-/ǿ5 3>z̨f~$0 7F3FTlkn3MD)9ӚNYw+ g;b2soW4*4bG)B͒1B2 DQVذ3֐F&&'v`4\J2(؇9c65bN8<|>|tHwQS,>H|7sFU1h^bXǯ6@5HҐmi+3: {݁Y4&cF- KN,dJB9բNX _px̅,9UBjAyLzAKF1cVq ۙ$oNq"Czph]Uf.,x.('2+)pKIBNTfyHeHij؟jsUm_:sp2'mQ C,ً]J(gÐXZC;ff,͌2hHBD9TڻBc*!Cv, S18ݪɘOL:51,QϹ fk:VV8XC$[h:>#8 gTM*ʊ;TR.QK-6?ZJ :٢85jmLC|;V0o`1'XC9=,šp7;Ұ"@ `_QL-NlA]ߵ-R<`&7Ku>u֡mW+ 4ifX4՗ --W әɗg \S+!153*c`r0ȵ :'+xH\Ri%glSlZEPCA"b6?bEE{Dƺ 7F`6R_TF66cB`܏]#fe[ɼD8-<iTv(qe8mH!^ACHlٱ&E}dxPenPkRb\QrI )$1GC%8kfKVy]..hfwra55䟆X:&2iIv^=V(7ӮX\L!%<J_P\K0u:.(zu+1lj7m_JaA\20w:(d9\>Xq#) >)>:'#FQs؃0 ^E?(jo9? !N&v[Gc(O lN?1!\g~q5=oL!3t>@ɩ2xL% {7P;cGAj9Hǂɾ̭%Ct`T_Ňɷ.ukڴ',H/>sv_8-t ; {0`WI& ܳ%O,/**vG|&k~exe 'fN#WUG !yJNG.O sVdgFFfg;c/9By={{=sRvJ&~]DS)ĚQ*w=+|7ƹݧI dGV^[;yDR=ؙ\%U"AcC S?̉>+xedɧqH][ )m.pZ']]~ӽk ל.Mxh_>LHTʢwdd,dplO.mq'/չvǣ˗}bS ++[4dZYaf/u"4hL{Wɕdi-^;བྷ=W)ӆ$Pvǵ@׷b}V 1>:8;!Ql'`vawPIBp$4 ^S:up u<lqg Q>DX΋PKN bQ;N@Va"-85"E/H7B!Ai8H~{<>^/bgh; 7(mdXZ  dVfs3oFvpRj kBfq]@{D AtKuM\pf'݄]U'V*₰buwj*\zZnU'^?sdֹbk/KTQ/y ~u{a}8<4f珇MBƐYwy4De{ |5QaJ~a &z4ÇPQ^JS@[Et^!@՘*JF1fZd]Dt;rxzok](_bF,63h,G3W;Hb=X+Iێ;1{F"=B_'@g Pg[dE˸E쑳tACj>mT i+P]SsId0%d2ɡtU)7%k90b7xrڷ!au;(b.0\B'qM˸se.I 8v'v 9X8vn34]\4XN҈"Jqŏ` {fK.Xq?0""5va:"ڛ|AKH0멶tg]{Nzl~p?BVI EeY*Vm tT[1 YsTA53!Yzys }Q5;2߫ }Yۖ]5TIȊ68*jA4f+ aQwIIB*PςuXׇomdjqP7M8fn0e6.䳄]Y4_!56,CqkρOVKˡU.dJ?Vr䗽|u|_?w}$eUhLp Ț+9~T7>Jzo?r|Xu)oS긅bq+n}g+_{k~m9bߎإ