August 2021 Volume 3

FORGING RESEARCH

FIERF Board of Trustees Approves 12 New Grants

Investigating the Effect of Processing Parameters onMicrostructure andMechanical Behavior of 316 SS Fabricated via Binder Jet Followed by Forging – Cleveland State University The proposed project will investigate the effect of processing parameters on microstructure and mechanical behavior of 316 stainless steel fabricated via binder jet followed by forging. A comprehensive literature survey will be conducted to review the state-of-the art in the subject matter and to introduce the students to stainless steel alloys, binder jet process, forging, and sintering process. The investigation will include extensive metallographic work, with sample preparation and microscopy of parts with known processing history provided by the industry partner. Friction Stir Processing as a Manufacturing Pathway for Forging Preforms - Colorado School of Mines The goal of this project is to determine the feasibility of using friction stir processing to create bulk samples of high-temperature aluminum alloys that can be used as forging pre-forms. Currently, these alloys can only be processed via rapid solidification, which precludes the manufacture of bulk samples. The objective of the project is to build on previous work (supported by a 2019 FIERF Micro-grant and CANFSA [1-2]) to understand the microstructures that can be achieved by using a solid-state consolidation method that avoids high temperatures and melting. This is particularly important for high-temperature aluminum alloys [3-5] such as Al- TM (aluminum-transition metal), whose properties are dependent on secondary phases (precipitates) that strengthen the alloy to elevated temperatures – these phases are formed during rapid solidification. Since rapid solidification is required, the only viable products have small cross-sections, such as powders or thin ribbons, and the ability to create bulkmaterials is compromised by the physics of heat transfer. When high-temperature processing pathways such as casting (slow cooling from liquid) or extrusion (which we found in previous work is often processed above the temperatures where the precipitates are stable) are performed, the desirable precipitates are no longer present to strengthen the alloy.

The Forging Industry Educational Research Foundation (FIERF) received a record number of grant submissions for the 2021 granting season. The FIA Technology Committee reviewed the submissions, and we are pleased to announce the following projects have been approved for funding by the FIERF Board of Trustees. Total dollars approved were $388,000 distributed across the ten schools. FIERF staff and the board were happy to bring two new schools into the FIERF Magnet School family: University of Houston and Georgia Southern University. We are pleased to provide brief summaries of all the projects. Each grant involves an FIA member as the industry partner. If you are interested in getting involved as an industry partner for these or future projects, please contact Amanda Dureiko at amanda@forging.org. Evaluation of Rejuvenated Forging Tools - Case Western Reserve University Over the past two years, with support from the Defense Logistics Agency, we have been working to develop the use of the advancements in motion control and process control developed in the context of additive manufacturing to deposit nickel-based superalloys to rejuvenate the working surface forging tools. In the proposed project we will prepare two IN718 dies to forge gears. Presrite will wire EDM skim-cut to reveal a damage-free subsurface leveraging the detailed study of crack propagation carried out at CWRU. Lincoln Electric will use laser hot-wire to make deposits. This project will seek to verify that performance of resurfaced tools is equivalent to original tools. In addition to the technical studies, we will carry out economic analysis to quantify the economic benefits. A Sustainable Heat Treatment Process for Forged Products - Case Western Reserve University This project is to study the integrated and sustainable heat treating solutions which enables the metallurgy for lighter and stronger parts and reduce the cost of forging industry. The deliverables of the project include a detailed project report which highlights the comparison between 21st Century uniform water quench heat treating practices relative to the today's 20th Century heat treating practices by generating a framework that could be used to evaluate potential forging applications which would benefit from forging industry for part making. In particular, we will study and employ an innovative heat treating technology developed by our industrial partner, The Integrated Heat Treating Solutions LLC, located in Akron, OH, named Direct from the Forge Instant-Impact water Quench process (DFIQ™) as benchmark. The DFIQ TM technology could eliminate 66% of the energy needed to make a hardened forged part in conventional shot blast cleaning, and hence could greatly reduce energy costs of the forging industry during the heat treatment process.

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2021 78