Patent ID: 8444781

Claim:
A process for strengthening and obtaining the desired dimensions for a metal part comprising: (1) heating at least a portion of a preformed metal part to a temperature above about 1300° F. to transform the metal in at least said portion of the part to an austenitic state to produce an austenitized preformed metal part, (2) quenching the austenitized preformed metal part to a temperature which is within the range of 300° F. to 650° F. to put the metal in the preformed part in a metastable austenitic state, (3) coining the preformed metal part by applying a sufficient pressure to the preformed metal part to cause the metal of the preformed metal part to flow to meet the defining shape of a die while said metal of said preformed metal part is maintained in the metastable austenitic state at a temperature which is within the range of 300° F. to 650° F., and (4) quenching the coined metal part by cooling the coined metal part at a temperature which provides for a cooling rate of at least 3° F. per second and which allows for the rapid transformation from meta-stable austenite to martensite.