Molding of superplastic metals

Claim 1

In a process for molding of a superplastic metal, wherein said metal is formed under heat and pressure in a mold into a molded article which article is thereupon removed from the mold, the improvement comprising the steps of A. opening the mold, after the forming step is complete, to expose a portion of said article, B. applying a cooling medium to said exposed portion of said article for a period sufficient to shrink said article to the extent there is a less tight relationship between walls of said article which are still within said mold and said mold, said cooling being terminated before said mold is itself substantially affected by said cooling. C. impacting said article with means to overcome any retentive forces still existing between said mold and the said walls of said article which were left within said mold and knock said article out of said mold, said impact being at a velocity high enough to cause the impacted superplastic material to reach a yield strength of about 150,000 psi but which does not exceed the elastic limit of the superplastic material.