Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho

Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)

Makoto Yoneda

Tomomitsu Nakai

Shigeo Kofune

Katsumi Watanabe

Takao Fujikawa

Yasuo Manabe

Itaru Masuoka

Yutaka Narukawa

Yoshihiko Sakashita

Takeshi Kanda

Takeo Nishimoto

Masahiko Mitsuda

Provided is a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) device that improves the heat uniformity of a hot zone during a pressurization process of an object being processed. This HIP device () is provided with: an outer casing () having an open outer opening part (H); an inner casing () having an open inn opening part (H); a heat-insulating body (R) disposed between the outer casing () and the inner casing (); a gas flow generation part (); and a plurality of first gas conduits (), A hot zone (P) in which a pressurization process is performed is formed inside the inner casing (). During the pressurization process, a low-temperature pressurization medium gas which has been generated by the gas flow generation part () and has passed through the first gas conduits () moves upward in an inner flow passage (L) between the casings, and then flows into the hot zone (P) from the inner opening part (H), Even when the pressurization medium gas leaks from the vicinity of a bottom all part () and flows into the hot zone (P), the heat uniformity of the hot zone (P) is maintained.

Hot isostatic pressing device

Provided is a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) device () that can efficiently cool a hot zone during HIP processing while restraining temperatures in the lower part of a high-pressure container. This HIP device () is provided with the following: gas-impermeable casings () that surround an object to be processed (W); a heating unit () that is disposed inside these casings and forms a hot zone around the object to be processed (W); a high-pressure container (); and a cooling unit that guides a pressure-medium gas cooled on the outside of the casings into the hot zone to cool the hot zone. The cooling unit comprises the following: a gas introduction unit that introduces the pressure-medium gas that has been cooled on the outside of the casings () into the hot zone; and a cooling promotion unit () that cools the pressure medium gas by causing the pressure-medium gas that has been cooled on the outside of the casings to exchange heat with a base () of the high-pressure container ().

Provided is a hot isostatic pressing device (HIP) () that enables prompt cooling in a processing chamber. The HIP device () is provided with the following: gas impermeable casings (); a heating unit (); a high-pressure container (); a heat accumulator () provided below a processing chamber; and a cooling promotion flow path (). The casings () are disposed so as to form the following: a first circulation flow () in which a pressure medium gas passes through an inner flow path () and an outer flow path () and then returns to the inner flow path (); and a second circulation flow () in which the pressure medium gas which has branched off from the first circulation flow () performs heat exchange with an object-of-processing (W) in the processing chamber and then is fed back to the first circulation flow (). In the cooling promotion flow path (), the pressure medium gas that is in the second circulation flow () and that has performed heat exchange with the object-of-processing (W) is guided to the heat accumulator () and cooled by the heat accumulator () before the pressure medium gas merges with the first circulation flow ().

A hot isostatic pressing method is disclosed wherein workpieces are accommodated within a high pressure vessel and the interior of the high pressure vessel is filled with an inert gas of a high temperature and a high pressure to treat the workpieces. The method includes a cooling step which is performed after maintaining the interior of the high pressure vessel at a high temperature and a high pressure for a predetermined time and in which a liquid inert gas is fed into the high pressure vessel. According to this method it is possible to shorten the cycle time of an HIP apparatus.

Hot isostatic pressing method and apparatus

A hot isotropic pressure device including: a casing disposed inside a high-pressure container; a heating unit provided inside the casing and forms a hot zone around the treatment material, in which an isotropic pressure treatment is performed on the treatment material using a pressure medium gas. A cooling unit is provided to cool the hot zone by guiding the pressure medium gas, cooled while guided from the upper side toward the lower side at the outside of the casing, into the hot zone. The cooling unit includes a gas introducing unit which guides the pressure medium gas cooled at the outside of the casing from the lower portion of the high-pressure container to the upper portion of the hot zone without any intersection with the pressure medium gas inside the hot zone and introduces the pressure medium gas into the hot zone.

Hot isotropic pressure device

A hot isostatic pressing device according to the present invention includes an inner casing, an outer casing, and a heating means which are provided inside a high-pressure container. The device further includes a first cooling means for forcedly circulating pressure medium gas in such a manner that pressure medium gas guided upwardly between the inner casing and the outer casing is guided to the outside of the outer casing through an upper part of the outer casing, cooled while being guided downwardly along an inner circumferential surface of the high-pressure container, and then returned to between the inner casing and the outer casing through a lower part of the outer casing; and a second cooling means for guiding pressure medium gas within a hot zone formed inside the inner casing to the outside of the hot zone, cooling the pressure medium gas guided to the outside by merging it with the pressure medium gas forcedly circulated by the first cooling means, and returning the cooled pressure medium gas into the hot zone. According to such a structure, a high cooling efficiency can be attained while maintaining the hot zone in a thermally uniform condition.

In reforming mechanical characteristics of a precipitation hardening type Al alloy casting, the Al alloy casting is subjected to a high temperature/high pressure treatment, then the pressure is reduced while maintaining the temperature of the Al alloy casting, and subsequently the Al alloy casting is subjected to solution treatment, quenching, and aging in this order. According to this method, mechanical characteristics of the casting can be reformed efficiently and economically and there can be obtained a reformed product of good quality.

Method for reforming A1 alloy castings

A hot isostatic pressing apparatus (HIP apparatus) comprises a vertically cylindrical high-pressure vessel comprising a high-pressure cylinderand upper and lower lidsanda bottomed cylindrical casingcapable of housing workpiecesand a resistance-wire heatera heat insulating structureequipped with a gas flow regulating valveand formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape on the outside of the casingso as to cover the casingand a heat sinkhaving a water cooling mechanism provided in the space defined by the heat insulating structureand the inner surface of the high-pressure cylinderwhich are provided within the high-pressure vessel; and a pressure medium gas stirring fanfor promoting the temperature uniformity of the space of the treatment chamberfor housing the workpiecesthe stirring fan being arranged on the lower lidside within the casingwhereby the cooling to a temperature range of 100&#xb0; C. or lower which allows a quenching treatment and the safe manual handling of workpieces can be efficiently performed.

Hot isostatic pressing apparatus and hot isostatic pressing method

A treatment chamber for heating and pressing workpieces and a heat insulating structure which covers the treatment chamber sideways and from above are provided within a high-pressure vessel. Below the treatment chamber are disposed a base heater for heating a pressure medium gas and a fan for supplying the pressure medium gas in a heated state into the treatment chamber and stirring the heated gas. The workpieces can be held on the heat insulating structure side, and the heat insulating structure and the workpieces can be taken out from the interior of the high-pressure vessel and can be conveyed together separately from a lower lid of the high-pressure vessel. A hot isostatic pressing apparatus is provided less expensively which can heat and press workpieces at a relatively low temperature of not higher than 600&#xb0; C. Besides, it is possible to shorten the cycle time in HIP.

Hot isostatic pressing apparatus

In a high temperature/high pressure vessel for treating a workpiece placed in the interior of the vessel at a high temperature and a high pressure wherein piano wire is wound under tension round an outer periphery of a cylindrical body to apply a compressive residual stress to the cylindrical body and axial openings of the cylindrical body are tightly closed with upper and lower lids so that the lids can be disengaged from the openings, the cylindrical body is constituted as a two-layer cylindrical body comprising an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder which is fitted on the inner cylinder through plural spacers arranged along an outer periphery surface of the inner cylinder, allowing cooling water flow paths to be formed each between adjacent such spacers so as to extend from one end side to an opposite end side of the tow-layer cylindrical body. In this high temperature/high pressure vessel, vessel packings can be cooled effectively, the piano wire is not wet with cooling water, and the internal space of the vessel can be utilized effectively.

High temperature/high pressure vessel

While a workpiece is heated and pressed by one of a pair of high-pressure vessels, a workpiece being pressed by the other high-pressure vessel is placed in a heated state. In the reducing process after termination of heating and pressing treatment of the workpiece by one high-pressure vessel, both the high-pressure vessels are placed in communication, and the pressure medium gas released from one high-pressure vessel is poured into the other high-pressure vessel. After pressures of both the high-pressure vessels have assumed a nearly balanced state, the pressure medium gas is sucked out of one high-pressure vessel by a compressor and pressed, and is poured into the other high-pressure vessel, and the workpiece is heated and pressed by the other high-pressure vessel. By the method as described, considerable shortening of cycle time of HIP treatment is achieved, and the HIP treatment can be carried out with high efficiency.

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Takasago, Japan

Makoto Yoneda