Method for forming a stamped metal part

1. A method for forming a stamped part that includes one or more flexure regions, said method comprising the steps of:

a) provide a flat metal sheet material having a thickness of no more than about 0.2 inches;

b) supplying said flat metal sheet material to a metal blanking process to form a stamped metal part, said stamped metal part having a top and bottom surface and an edge, said metal blanking process including a die that is designed to minimize fatigue failure initiations sites in said stamped metal part;

c) heat treating said stamped metal part, said step of heating treating including

i) coating said stamped metal part with a material that inhibits bonding of said stamped metal part with adjacently positioned objects,

ii) heating said stamped metal part to an annealing temperature, and

iii) cooling said stamped metal part; and,

d) finishing said stamped metal part, said finishing step includes deburring at least a portion of said edges of said stamped metal part and rounding at least a portion of said edges of said stamped metal part.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , including the step of stress or harden modifying said stamped metal part after said finishing step, said step of stress or harden modifying designed to relieve tensile stresses in said stamped metal part, encourage strain hardening in said stamped metal part, or combinations thereof.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said stamped metal part after said metal blanking process

i) a size tolerance within about 3 mm,

ii) has said top and said bottom surfaces lying in a parallel flat plane to one another and that at least about 90% of said top and bottom surfaces lie in such parallel flat planes, and

iii) has a maximum amount of bending of relative to a thickness of said stamped metal part of less than about 50%.

4. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein said stamped metal part after said metal blanking process

i) a size tolerance within about 3 mm,

ii) has said top and said bottom surfaces lying in a parallel flat plane to one another and that at least about 90% of said top and bottom surfaces lie in such parallel flat planes, and

iii) has a maximum amount of bending of relative to a thickness of said stamped metal part of less than about 50%.

5. A method for forming a stamped part that includes one or more flexure regions, said method comprising the steps of:

a) provide a flat metal sheet material having a thickness of no more than about 0.2 inches;

b) supplying said flat metal sheet material to a metal blanking process to form a stamped metal part, said stamped metal part having a top and bottom surface and an edge, said metal blanking process including a die that is designed to minimize fatigue failure initiations sites in said stamped metal part;

c) heat treating said stamped metal part prior to a finishing step, said step of heating treating including

i) coating said stamped metal part with a material that inhibits bonding of said stamped metal part with adjacently positioned objects

ii) heating said stamped metal part in a vacuum or inert environment to an annealing temperature, and

iii) cooling said stamped metal part in a vacuum or inert environment; and,

d) finishing said stamped metal part, said finishing step includes deburring at least a portion of said edges of said stamped metal part and rounding at least a portion of said edges of said stamped metal part, said stamped metal part after finishing having a smoothness of at least about 0.75 Rz max.

6. The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the step of heat treating said stamped metal part occurs prior to said finishing step, said step of heating said stamped metal part occurs in a vacuum or inert environment, and said step of cooling said stamped metal part occurs in a vacuum or inert environment.

7. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein said step of heat treating said metal stamped part includes

1) heating said stamped part in a vacuum or inert environment to a first elevated temperature, said first elevated temperature about 30-90% of an annealing temperature of said stamped metal part,

2) heating said stamped metal part in a vacuum or inert environment to a second elevated temperature, said second elevated temperature an annealing temperature of said stamped metal part,

3) maintaining said stamped metal part at said second elevated temperature for at least about 0.25 hours, and

4) cooling said stamped metal part in a pressurized atmosphere down from said second elevated temperature, said pressurized atmosphere at least about 1.5 bars.

8. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein said step of heat treating said metal stamped part includes

1) heating said stamped part to a first elevated temperature, said first elevated temperature about 30-90% of an annealing temperature of said stamped metal part,

2) heating said stamped metal part to a second elevated temperature, said second elevated temperature an annealing temperature of said stamped metal part,

3) maintaining said stamped metal part at said second elevated temperature for at least about 0.25 hours, and

4) cooling said stamped metal part.

9. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein said coating material includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of magnesium, magnesium compound, and silicon-oxygen compound.

10. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein said coating material includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of magnesium, magnesium compound, and silicon-oxygen compound.

11. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein said stamped metal part is placed in a fixture prior to or during said heating of said stamped metal part so as to inhibit or prevent bending or warping of said stamped metal part during said step of heat treating.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein said stamped metal part is placed in a fixture prior to or during said heating of said stamped metal part so as to inhibit or prevent bending or warping of said stamped metal part during said step of heat treating.

13. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said stamped metal part after said step of finishing said stamped metal part has a hardness of at least about 20HRC@400° F.

14. The method as defined in claim 12 , wherein said stamped metal part after said step of finishing said stamped metal part has a hardness of at least about 20HRC@400 (degrees) F.

15. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said step of finishing results in said stamped metal part having at least about −70 Ksi of residual compressive stresses.

16. The method as defined in claim 14 , wherein said step of finishing results in said stamped metal part having at least about −70 Ksi of residual compressive stresses.

17. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein said step of stress or harden modifying said stamped metal part includes a peening process, said peening process including the steps of 1) masking a portion of said stamped metal part, and 2) directing shot to unmasked portions of said stamped metal part to increase compressive stress of said stamped metal part to at least about −110 Ksi.

18. The method as defined in claim 16 , wherein said step of stress or harden modifying said stamped metal part includes a peening process, said peening process including the steps of 1) masking a portion of said stamped metal part, and 2) directing shot to unmasked portions of said stamped metal part to increase compressive stress of said stamped metal part to at least about −110 Ksi.

19. A method for forming a stamped spring flexure that includes one or more flexure regions, said method comprising the steps of:

a) provide a flat metal sheet material having a thickness of no more than about 0.1 inches, said metal sheet formed of carbon steel or stainless steel;

b) supplying said flat metal sheet material to a metal blanking process to form a stamped metal part, said stamped metal part having a top and bottom surface and an edge, said metal blanking process including a die that is designed to minimize fatigue failure initiations sites in said stamped metal part, said stamped metal part after said metal blanking process

i) has a size tolerance within about 2 mm,

ii) has said top and said bottom surfaces lying in a parallel flat plane to one another and that at least about 95% of said top and bottom surfaces lie in such parallel flat planes, and

iii) has a maximum amount of bending of relative to a thickness of said stamped metal part of less than about 30%;

c) heat treating said stamped metal part prior to a finishing step, said step of heating treating including

i) coating said stamped metal part with a material that inhibits bonding of said stamped metal part with adjacently positioned objects,

ii) placing said stamped metal part in a fixture prior to or during said heating of said stamped metal part so as to inhibit or prevent bending or warping of said stamped metal part during said step of heat treating,

iii) heating said stamped metal part in a vacuum or inert environment to an annealing temperature, and

iv) cooling said stamped metal part in an inert and pressurized environment, said coating material including one or more materials selected from the group consisting of magnesium, magnesium compound, and silicon-oxygen compound, said pressurized environment at least about 2 bars;

d) finishing said stamped metal part, said finishing step includes deburring at least a portion of said edges of said stamped metal part and rounding at least a portion of said edges of said stamped metal part, said stamped metal part after finishing having a smoothness of at least about 0.5 Rz max, said step of finishing results in said stamped metal part having at least about −90 Ksi of residual compressive stresses, said stamped metal part after said step of finishing having a hardness of at least about 24HRC @400 (degrees) F.; and,

e) stress or harden modifying said stamped metal part after said finishing step, said step of stress or harden modifying designed to relieve tensile stresses in said stamped metal part, encourage strain hardening in said stamped metal part, or combinations thereof, said step of stress or harden modifying said stamped metal part including a peening process, said peening process including the steps of

i) masking a portion of said stamped metal part, and

ii) directing shot to unmasked portions of said stamped metal part to increase compressive stress of said stamped metal part to at least about −115 Ksi.