Patent ID: 7302821

Claim:
A system for manufacturing a product, the system comprising: a power source; a plastic deformation stage configured to provide plastic deformation to material to at least partially form the product; and a controller coupled to the power source and to the plastic deformation stage, the controller being configured to apply electric current to the material to reduce flow stresses within the material while the plastic deformation stage provides the plastic deformation to the material; wherein the controller, when applying the electric current to the material, is configured to: pass a series of high-density, short electric pulses through the material as the plastic deformation stage provides plastic deformation to the material to increase dislocation mobility of the material during plastic deformation; and wherein the series of high-density, short electric pulses provides an electric current density through the material of at least 1000 Amperes per square millimeter, each electric pulse of the series of electric pulses having a duration which is less than or equal to 0.01 seconds.