Williams International Co., L.l.c.

Timothy A Nielsen

Sam B Williams

William P Schimmel

James S Prosser

Methods for semisolid manufacturing of precision parts, turbine rotors for example, comprised of a plurality of high melting point alloys are given. Generally, a semisolid/thixotropic process is operated under vacuum utilizing a cooled mold. The process preferably comprises a vacuum chamber, inductive heaters to bring two or more high melting point slugs to either a solid or thixotropic phase, and a plunger that accelerates one or more high melting point solid slugs into one or more thixotropic slugs and then into a mold. Prior to heating, preconditioning at least one of the slugs to form a non-dendritic microstructure simplifies processing. The semisolid microstructure solidifies as the completed forged assembly cools. Thixotropic forging of a multi-alloy assembly achieves optimized properties in specific locations of the final product.

Multiproperty metal forming process

Methods for semisolid manufacturing of precision parts, turbine rotors for example, comprised of a plurality of high melting point alloys are given. Generally, a semisolid/thixotropic process is operated under vacuum utilizing a removable mold. The process preferably comprises a vacuum chamber, an inductive heater to bring a high melting point multi-alloy slug to a thixotropic phase, a supercooled mold comprised of a low melting point alloy or metal, and a plunger that accelerates and injects the high melting point slug into the low melting point mold. As the formed part cools, the supercooled low melting point mold heats up to its melting point upon which separation from the formed part occurs. Supercooling of the removable mold permits the use of thixotropic methods for high melting point alloys. Thixotropic forging of a multi-alloy assembly tailors its mechanical properties to achieve optimized properties in specific locations of the final product.

Methods for semisolid manufacturing of precision parts, turbine rotors for example, comprised of a plurality of high melting point alloys are given. Generally, a semisolid/thixotropic process is operated under vacuum utilizing a heated mold. The process preferably comprises a vacuum chamber, inductive heaters to bring two or more high melting point slugs to a either a solid or thixotropic phase, and a plunger that accelerates and injects a high melting point slug into the heated mold containing one or more solid or thixotropic slugs. The semisolid solution is eliminated as the completed forged assembly cools. Thixotropic forging of a multi-alloy assembly tailors its mechanical properties to achieve optimized properties in specific locations of the final product.

Methods for semisolid manufacturing of precision parts, turbine rotors for example, comprised of high melting point alloys are given. Generally, a semisolid/thixotropic process is operated under vacuum utilizing a removable mold. The process preferably comprises a vacuum chamber, an inductive heater to bring a high melting point alloy to a thixotropic phase, a supercooled mold comprised of a low melting point alloy or metal, and a plunger that accelerates and injects the high melting point alloy into the low melting point mold. As the formed part cools, the supercooled low melting point mold heats up to its melting point upon which separation from the formed part occurs. Supercooling of the removable mold permits the use of thixotropic methods for high melting point alloys.

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Walled Lake, MI, United States of America

Timothy A Nielsen