Patent ID: 9050647
Filing Date: 2015-06-09
Classification: B21J,C21D,C22F

Abstract:
1. A method of forging a metallic material workpiece to initiate microstructure refinement, the method comprising: open die press forging the workpiece at a forging temperature in a first forging direction up to a reduction ductility limit of the metallic material; repeating open die press forging the workpiece in the first forging direction up to the reduction ductility limit one or more times at the forging temperature until a total amount of strain imparted in the first forging direction is sufficient to initiate microstructure refinement; rotating the workpiece a desired degree of rotation; open die press forging the workpiece at the forging temperature in a second forging direction up to the reduction ductility limit of the metallic material; repeating open die press forging the workpiece in the second forging direction up to the reduction ductility limit one or more times at the forging temperature until a total amount of strain imparted in the second forging direction is sufficient to initiate microstructure refinement; and repeating the rotating step, the open die press forging step, and the repeating open die press forging step in a third and, optionally, one or more additional forging directions until a total amount of strain that is sufficient to initiate microstructure refinement is imparted in an entire volume of the workpiece, wherein the workpiece is not rotated until a total amount of strain that is sufficient to initiate microstructure refinement is imparted in the third direction and any one or more additional directions.