FI124551B - SPD Method and Hardware - Google Patents

Description

SPD METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an SPD method and apparatus. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to the production of UFG metals (Ultra Fine Grained, grain size 0.1 to 1 µm) by the SPD (Severe Plastic Deformation) method, reducing the grain size of the materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the known cyclic SPD method, the durability and loadability of metals are based on the material properties and shape of the product.

15 In SPD, powerful in-process shaping - while giving the product a shape - reduces the grain size of the material to the micro grade. The microstructured material has a particle size of less than 1 µm (that of conventional alloys is in the range of 20 to 100 µm).

20 Products made of SPD metals are already on the market, but they are still manufactured only under laboratory conditions or in very small scale production.

The industry has not yet begun to produce microstructured raw materials and 'ίο 25 blanks'. This is mainly due to the lack of a well-functioning 4 continuous process SPD method.

i O) o x Microstructured products have a wide range of applications, including space technology,

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transportation technology, health care equipment and components, O)? 30 sports equipment, food and chemical industry, electronics and defense.

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The following publications relate to the modification of the microstructure of a metal material.

A. Azushima, R. Kopp, A. Korhonen, D.Y. Yang, F. Micari, G.D. Lahoti, P. 5 Groche, J. Yanagimoto, N. Tsuji, A. Rosochowski, A. Yanagida, Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) Processes for Metals, Keynote Lecture, 58th CIRP General Assembly, 24 - 30 August 2008, Manchester, UK, 22 p.

T. Manninen, K. Kanervo, A. Revuelta, J. Larkiola and AS Korhonen, Plastic 10 deformation of solderless press-fit connectors, 9th International Conference on Technology of Plasticity, ICTP 2005, Verona, October 9-13, 2005, 9 pp., Materials Science and Engineering A 460 - 461 (2007) 633-637.

Jari Kokkonen, Veli-Tapani Kuokkala, Lech Olejnik, Andrzej Rosochowski, 15 Dynamic behavior of ECAP processed aluminum at room and sub-zero temperatures, SEM XI International Congress & Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics, Orlando, Florida USA, June 2-5. , 2008.

V-T. Kuokkala, J. Kokkonen, B. Song, W. Chen, L. Olejnik and A. Rosochowsk, 20 Dynamic Response of SPD Processed 1070 Aluminum at Various

Temperatures, 18th Dymat Technical Meeting, 10-12.9.2008, Bourges, France.

Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industrial, Secjiunea Invenjii, Romania; Nr. 11/2008, page 18, discloses the production of metal material by the SPD method.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an SPD manufacturing process suitable for industrial production, especially for UFG metals.

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suitable SPD manufacturing equipment, in particular for UFG metals.

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SUMMARY

According to a first exemplary aspect of the invention, there is provided a method according to claim 1.

According to another exemplary aspect of the invention, there is provided an SPD method of forming metal material in an apparatus comprising a first-pass material through-passage and a press comprising feeding metal material to the first 10 and compressing material back and forth in a second, transverse to smaller than the grain size. Preferably, the grain size of the material is sized to less than 1 µm.

Preferably, the press comprises a press passage that forms part of the flow passage.

Preferably, the material is fed in a first direction through a flow passage comprising an inlet passage and a subsequent press passage arranged in the first direction, and forming a material shaping shear by moving the press passage back and forth in the feed direction (first direction, inlet passage).

Preferably, the metal material is fed in a first direction through a 4 flow passage comprising an inlet and an outlet and

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g is a press passage between the first and the first presses and x is formed by moving the material shaping force

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the press channel reciprocating with respect to the inlet and outlet channels O) ° 30 in the other direction, o δ

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Preferably, the material is formed in the first 4 compression regions formed by the inlet duct outlet and the duct head. Preferably, the material is shaped in a second compression region formed by a press channel outlet end and an outlet outlet header.

Preferably, the material is fed (cyclically) in the first direction. Preferably, the material is pressed (cyclically) by a press, for example, in an up-down direction.

Preferably, the grain size of the metal is reduced to between 0.1 and 1 µm to produce UFG material 10.

Preferably, the process is a continuous cyclic compression process.

According to a third exemplary aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus according to claim 6.

According to a fourth exemplary aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for converting a metal material into a UFG material comprising a material flow passage arranged in a first direction and a press, and a flow passage comprising a material inlet passage and thereafter a configured to clamp the material back and forth with respect to the inlet channel in the second direction transverse to the first direction.

Preferably, the press comprises a press passageway forming part of a 0 g flow-through passageway.

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Preferably, the inlet end and the end of the press passage are formed by O)? 30 to the first compression region.

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Preferably, in the apparatus, the material is configured to be fed in a first direction through a flow passage comprising an inlet passage and a subsequent press passage arranged in the first direction and to form a material shaping force when moving the press passage reciprocally in the feed direction (first direction).

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Preferably, the through-flow passage comprises an outlet passage in the first direction downstream of the press passage, and the outlet end of the press passage and the upstream end of the outlet passage form a second press area.

Preferably, the material is adapted to be moved back and forth in a second direction supported by a press, more preferably a press passage.

Preferably, the apparatus comprises guide wheels for feeding material into the flow passage.

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The disclosed cyclic SPD method provides an industrially reasonable manufacturing method that provides the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage by manufacturing microstructured SPD components for which no well-functioning industrial process has been previously known. The solutions disclosed can provide an industrial manufacturing process for mass production. The solutions presented provide alternative ways of implementing the SPD method.

The compression method proposed by the Applicant enables UFG materials to be produced using the SPD process, which is fast for high production volumes and cost effective through energy use.

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g The SPD method, which is a cyclic compression method, is suitable as an industrial x process for UFG metals.

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° 30 BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE PATTERNS

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The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention employing the SPD method; Fig. 2 shows the apparatus of Fig. 1, in which material is introduced into the central portion and 5 material is deformed in a reciprocating motion of the central portion from one region; and Fig. 3 illustrates the apparatus of Fig. 1, in which the material is deformed in a reciprocating motion of the central portion from two regions.

DETAILED EXPLANATION

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Figures 1-3 show a schematic view of apparatus 100 applying the SPD method.

In the apparatus 100, metal material 1 is formed to form, e.g., UFG material. The apparatus 100 comprises a material flow channel 15 arranged in a first direction 5 comprising an inlet channel 2 and an outlet channel 4 and a press channel 3 disposed in the center of the apparatus, wherein material 1 is arranged to be movable in a first direction 5. The press channel 3 is moved back and forth the second direction 20 being transverse to the first direction 5. The inlet 2 outlet end 2 'and the press channel 3 start end 3' form a first press area 7 and a press channel outlet 3 'and outlet channel 4 start end 4' to form a second press area 8 to shape the material 1 , preferably 0.1 to 1 µm. The material is preferably moved 25 supported by a press passage 3. Preferably, the material is moved 4 back and forth in at least one other direction 6. In the figures, the back and forth motion i σ> is an up-down motion.

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According to some embodiments, the material is fed to the first O)? 30 through a flow passage comprising an inlet passage and a subsequent press passage arranged in a first direction, and

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forming a material shaping force by moving the press channel back and forth with respect to the feed direction (first direction, 7 inlet channels) in at least one second direction.

Preferably, the apparatus comprises guide wheels 9 for supplying material to the flow passage 2, 3, 4.

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In the method step shown in Fig. 1, the front end 1 'of the material 1 is fed through an inlet conduit 2 in a first direction 5 to a central portion formed by a press conduit 3 for processing. The material is supported in the inlet duct and begins to squeeze back and forth with the central portion moving in another direction 10 and is cyclically fed forward. The apparatus comprises guide wheels 9 for guiding the material to the apparatus 100.

In the method step shown in Figure 2, the front end 1 'of the material is fed in a first direction 5 to a central portion 15 formed by a press channel 3, and the material is compressed in a second direction 6 by a reciprocating central portion and fed cyclically. The central portion forms a press, whereupon the material is formed in the first surrounded area indicated by the dotted line 7.

In the method step shown in Fig. 3, the front end 1 'of the material is led in the first direction 5 through the press passage 3 to the outlet passage 4. The material is modified in the second direction 6 by a reciprocating center and fed cyclically. The central portion forms a press, whereby the material is formed in the first compression area designated by the dotted line 7 and the second surrounded area 4 by the dotted line 8.

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Claims (9)

An SPD method of forming a metal material (1) in an apparatus (100) comprising a material passage (2, 3, 4) and a press arranged in a first direction (5) and feeding the metal material (1) to a first direction (5). ) and compressing the material with a press in a second direction (6) transverse to the first direction and shaping the material to a size smaller than the grain size, feeding the material in the first direction (5) through a flow passage comprising 10 inlet channels (2) and subsequent press channel (3) is arranged in the first direction, characterized in that the material is pressed back and forth by a press in the second direction (6) and a forming force is formed to deform the material by moving the press channel (3) back and forth in the feed direction in the other direction (6). 15 Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the press comprises a press passage (3) which forms a part of the flow passage. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the metal material (1) is fed in a first direction (5) through a flow channel comprising an inlet channel (2) and an outlet channel (4) and a press channel (3) therebetween and forming a material shaping force by moving the press channel (3) back and forth with respect to the inlet channel and δ 25 in the other direction (6). C \ J i O σ> Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that O x is formed into a material in the first O) formed by the inlet end (2 ') of the inlet conduit (2) and the initial end (3') of the CL conduit (3)? 30 in the compression region (7). δ C \ J Method according to Claim 4, characterized in that the material is formed in a second compression zone (8) formed by the outlet (3 ') of the press passage (3) and the leading end (4') of the exit passage (4). An apparatus (100) for converting a metal material (1) into a UFG material, the apparatus comprising a material flow passage (2, 3, 4), 5 arranged in a first direction (5), and a press, and a flow passage (2, 3, 4). comprising a material inlet passage (2) and thereafter a press passage (3), wherein the material is arranged to be moved in a first direction (5) through a flow passage comprising an inlet passage (2) and a subsequent press passage (3), characterized in in the press passage, the material is reciprocated with respect to the inlet passage in the second direction (6) transverse to the first direction, and to form the material shaping forming force by moving the press passage (3) back and forth with respect to the feed direction in the second direction (6). 15 Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the press comprises a press passage (3) which forms part of the flow passage. 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the inlet end (2 ') of the inlet passage and the start end (3') of the press passage form a first compression region (7). Apparatus according to one of Claims 7 to 8, characterized in that the through-flow channel (2, 3, 4) comprises in the first direction (5) o 25 following the press channel (3) an outlet channel (4), and a press channel outlet 4 (3 ') and outlet channel the leading end (4 ') forming a second ig pressing region (8). X cc CL CD O δ δ C \ l