US2010236317A1PendingUtilityA1

Method for forming articles at an elevated temperature

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Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Mar 19, 2009Filed: Mar 19, 2009Published: Sep 23, 2010
Est. expiryMar 19, 2029(~2.6 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jeff D. SigelkoMatthew Warner
Y02P10/25C21D 7/13C21D 9/40C21D 1/42C21D 1/18C21D 9/28B21D 37/16C21D 9/32
42
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Claims

Abstract

A method for hot/warm forming an article that includes heating a billet in a first heater; forging the heated billet in a forging die to form an intermediate workpiece; removing the intermediate workpiece from the forging die while a temperature of the intermediate workpiece is greater than or equal to a predetermined elevated temperature of 1,000 degrees F; and heat treating the intermediate workpiece before the intermediate workpiece has cooled below the predetermined elevated temperature.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method comprising:
 forming a billet from a length of stock;   heating the billet in a first heater in an initial heating step to a heated billet temperature that is greater than or equal to a predetermined forging temperature;   placing the heated billet into a forging die;   operating the forging die to forge an intermediate workpiece;   removing the intermediate workpiece from the forging die;   placing the intermediate workpiece in a second heater when the intermediate workpiece has an intermediate workpiece temperature that is greater than or equal to a predetermined elevated temperature of 1,000 degrees F., the intermediate workpiece not receiving energy to raise the intermediate workpiece temperature between the forging die and the second heater;   heating the intermediate workpiece in the second heater to raise the intermediate workpiece temperature from the elevated temperature to a heat treating temperature; and   quenching the intermediate workpiece after it is heated to the heat treating temperature in a quenchant to form a hardened intermediate workpiece.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quenchant is an oil. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quenchant is agitated when the intermediate workpiece is quenched. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quenchant maintained at a quenching temperature within a predetermined range. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising tempering the hardened intermediate workpiece to form a tempered intermediate workpiece. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising machining the tempered intermediate workpiece to form a finished workpiece. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein a plurality of the intermediate workpieces are tempered simultaneously in a single batch. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein prior to tempering the intermediate workpiece the method includes washing the intermediate workpiece. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the temperature of the intermediate workpiece when the intermediate workpiece is heated in the second heater. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein monitoring the temperature of the intermediate workpiece comprises sensing the temperature of the intermediate workpiece with an optical pyrometer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein after the intermediate workpiece is removed from the forging die the method further comprises:
 gauging the intermediate workpiece temperature before the intermediate workpiece is placed in the second heater; and   processing the intermediate workpiece in an alternative heat treating operation if the intermediate workpiece temperature is not greater than the predetermined elevated temperature.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein gauging the intermediate workpiece temperature comprises sensing the intermediate workpiece temperature with an optical pyrometer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the second heater is an induction heater. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 heating a billet in a first heater;   forging the heated billet in a forging die to form an intermediate workpiece;   removing the intermediate workpiece from the forging die while a temperature of the intermediate workpiece is greater than or equal to a predetermined elevated temperature of 1,000 degrees F.; and   heat treating the intermediate workpiece before the intermediate workpiece has cooled below the predetermined elevated temperature.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein heat treating the intermediate workpiece comprises heating the intermediate workpiece in a second heater to elevate the temperature of the intermediate workpiece to a predetermined heat treating temperature and thereafter quenching the intermediate workpiece in a quenchant to form a hardened intermediate workpiece. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising tempering the hardened intermediate workpiece. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising machining the tempered intermediate workpiece to form a finished workpiece. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a plurality of the intermediate workpieces are tempered simultaneously in a single batch.

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