Patent ID: 6233500
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: B21C,B21J,C21D,C22F

Abstract:
A method for fabricating an article from a metallic material, comprising the steps of:(a) providing a billet of metallic material for fabricating an article;(b) selecting a prescribed final microstructure and grain size in said material comprising the fabricated article;(c) generating data defining material trajectories for true plastic strain, strain rate and temperature versus time on samples of said material within predetermined ranges of temperature and strain rate to achieve said final microstructure and grain size in said material;(d) selecting from said data the optimal material trajectories for achieving said prescribed final microstructure and grain size in said material;(e) determining the optimal initial conditions for hot forming said billet to achieve said prescribed microstructure and grain size in said material;(f) selecting optimal hot forming process parameters corresponding to said optimal material trajectories and said optimal initial conditions for achieving said prescribed final microstructure and grain size; and(g) hot forming said billet of material along said optimal material trajectories using said optimal hot forming process parameters to a predetermined shape for said article.