Patent ID: 7168283

Claim:
A method of creating a cobalt chrome femoral knee component, comprising the steps of: providing a forging press including first and second bust forging die parts spaced apart from each other and movable toward each other, the first and second bust forging die parts including respective femoral knee component shaped cavities; placing a cobalt chrome ingot heated to a temperature of between about 2050° F. and about 2300° F. between the first and second bust forging die parts in alignment with the femoral knee component shaped cavities; bringing the first and second bust forging dies parts together in a bust blow against the cobalt chrome ingot under a pressure of between about 1500 tons and 2000 tons creating a femoral knee bust forging; cooling the femoral knee bust forging creating a cooled femoral knee bust forging; heating the cooled femoral knee bust forging to a temperature of between about 2000° F. and 2300° F. creating a heated femoral knee bust forging; providing a forging press with first and second block forging die parts spaced apart from each other and movable toward each other, the first and second block forging die parts including respective femoral knee component shaped cavities; placing the heated femoral knee bust forging between the first and second block forging die parts in proper alignment with the femoral knee component shaped cavities; bring the first and second block forging die parts together in a block blow against the heated femoral knee bust component under a pressure of between about 1500 tons and about 2000 tons creating a femoral knee block forging.