Papers by Keyword: Multidirectional Forging

Abstract: The development of submicrocrystalline structure in a Cu-0.3wt.%Cr-0.5wt.%Zr during multidirectional forging (MDF) and equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) was investigated in comparison. A large number of strain-induced subboundaries with low-angle misorientations appeared at early deformation. The subsequent straining led to an increase in the misorientations of these subboundaries, resulting in the formation of submicrocrystalline structure at sufficiently large strains. The process of microstructural evolution can be considered as continuous dynamic recrystallization. MDF provided faster kinetics of new ultrafine grain formation as compared to ECAP. The fraction of ultrafine grains with a size below 2 μm comprised 0.59 or 0.23 after MDF or ECAP to a total strain of 4, respectively. The grain refinement kinetics could be accelerated by the presence of second phase precipitates. The fraction of ultrafine grains after MDF to a strain of 4 achieved 0.36 or 0.59 in the solution treated or aged samples, respectively.

Abstract: In times of increasing international business competition forging companies try to increase their competitiveness by optimization of different factors such as efficient use of resources in the forging process, optimization of processes or managing costs. In common forging processes for geometrically complicated parts such as crankshafts, an excess on material (flash) is technically needed to produce a good part, which results often in a material utilization between 60 % and 80 %. But the material costs in forging represent up to 50 % of the total production costs. By decreasing the flash ratio, the material usage and production costs in forging operations can be reduced significantly, helping to increase the competitiveness of companies. Innovative approaches are required, to achieve a significant reduction of the amount of flash in the forging of complicated parts like crankshafts. For a crankshaft, the development of a new forging sequence was necessary, to achieve the reduction of flash. This development was performed for an industrial two-cylinder crankshaft, based on finite element analysis (FEA) simulations. The new forging sequence consists of three flashless preforming operations, an induction reheating followed by a multidirectional forging and the final forging. By use of this forging sequence the flash ratio was reduced from about 54 % to less than 10 %. The whole forging sequence was set up in an industrial environment and the feasibility of this process chain was proven. Due to the huge reduction of the flash ratio, material as well as energy can be saved from now on, thus increasing the competitiveness of the company.

Abstract: In the present work the influence of various parameters on formation of nanoor ultrafine-grained structure in commercial-purity titanium during large deformation was quantified using TEM and EBSD. The beneficial effect of twinning on the kinetics of microstructure refinement in titanium was revealed. It was shown that deformation twinning (and therefore nanostructure formation) can be intensified via decrease in temperature, increase in the initial grain size and decrease in the impurities content. The minimum grain size at which twinning can still operate in commercial-purity titanium was determined to be ~1μm. It was shown that rolling to a thickness strain of 93% at-196°C resulted in the formation of a microstructure with a grain/subgrain size ~80 nm.

Abstract: The formation of nanocrystalline structure in a 304-type austenitic stainless steel during multidirectional forging (MDF) at room temperature was investigated. Initial coarse austenite grains with an average size of 50 μm were refined to about 80 nm by martensitic transformation during MDF to a total true strain of 2 and remained unchanged upon further deformation up to a strain of 4. The volume fraction of martensite achieved ~0.9 after forging to a strain of 1.6. The MDF at room temperature was accompanied by a significant hardening of the 304-type steel. The microhardness and the flow stress increased during forging and approached their saturations on the levels of about 5 GPa and 1.7 GPa, respectively, after total true strain of 2. The structural mechanisms responsible for microstructure evolution during severe deformation are discussed.

Abstract: Multidirectional forging has been developed to produce an ultrafine-grain (UFG) microstructure in the two-phase titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V. A microstructure with a grain size of 135 nm was attained, enabling low-temperature superplasticity (LTSP) at 550°C. A total elongation of 1000% and strain-rate-sensitivity coefficient m=0.47 were obtained at the optimal strain rate of 2×10^-4 s^-1. Important features of the microstructure and superplastic behavior of the alloy are summarized in the present work. It is shown that microstructure evolution during low-temperature deformation plays a key role in superplastic flow behavior.

Abstract: The evolution process of ultrafine grains during hot severe plastic deformation (SPD) was studied in several aluminum alloys. The structural changes can be characterized by the evolution of deformation bands such as microshear bands (MSBs) at moderate strains. The process of strain-induced grain formation can be categorized into the three stages irrespective of deformation mode and temperature: i.e. i) an incubation period for new grain evolution in low strain; ii) a grain fragmentation by frequent development of MSBs and subsequently new grains in medium strain, and iii) a full development of fine grains in large strain. Temperature effect on the new grain formation in aluminum alloys is also analysed in detail and the mechanism operating is discussed.

Abstract: The evolution mechanisms of ultrafine grains processed by severe plastic deformation are studied in ferritic steel, copper and aluminum alloys. The structural changes are characterized by the evolution of deformation bands such as microshear bands (MSBs) at moderate strains. The process of strain-induced grain formation can be subdivided in the following three stages irrespective of deformation temperature: i.e. an incubation period for new grain evolution in low strain; grain fragmentation by frequent development of MSBs in medium strain, and a full development of new grains in large strain. A mechanism of new grain formation during SPD, i.e. the MSB-based model, is proposed and discussed comparing with the subgrain-based model.

Abstract: Microstructural changes taking place in an as-cast coarse-grained 7475 Al alloy was studied by using multidirectional forging (MDF) at a temperature of 250oC and at a strain rate of 3 × 10-4 s-1. The samples were deformed by MDF with a strain of 0.7 per pass up to cumulative strain (Σε) of 8.4. In the earlier stages of deformation, microstructural changes are mainly characterized by development of dislocation subboundaries with low-to-moderate misorientation angles. The misorientation angle initially increases with straining and reaches a plateau of around 3.7o in the strain range from 0.7 to 2.1, where new grain formation scarcely takes place in the original grain interiors. With further straining, grain fragmentation starts to occur accompanying with deformation bands developed at various directions, followed by rapid evolution of a new fine grain structure at large strain. The average grain size is around 1 μm at large strains and the average misorientation angle approaches a value of about 25o at Σε = 8.4.

Abstract: Effect of strain rate on grain refinement was studied in multidirectional forging (MDF) of a coarse-grained 7475 Al alloy at 490oC under strain rates of 3 × 10-4 s-1 and 3 × 10-2 s-1. At a strain rate of 3 × 10-4 s-1, the stress – strain ( σ - ε) behavior shows significant work softening just after yielding and a steady-state flow at higher strains. The structural changes are characterized by development of deformation bands at early stages of deformation, followed by formation of a fine grain structure in high strain in the whole material. The volume fraction of new grains increases with strain and approaches a value of about 0.85 over a strain of 3. At a higher strain rate of 3 × 10-2 s-1, in contrast, a steady-state flow following small flow softening appears at a relatively low strain. New grains are formed during steady state flow along original grain boundaries and the volume fraction reaches below 0.2 even in high strain. The occurrence conditions and the mechanisms of grain refinement are discussed in detail.