Inconel Superalloy Forging Solutions for Aerospace Turbine Components
Complete Inconel Forging Process
Billet preparation
Select alloy, cut billets/ingots to length, clean surfaces, then heat to forging temperature (steel ~850–1150°C; aluminum up to ~500°C).
Large aerospace parts often require converting ingots to uniform round blanks before die work for structure control.
- Based on the component requirements, we cut the billet using a circular saw or band saw. Due to the high hardness of the material, the cycle time is very low.
Forging Press Operations
Transfer the heated billet to dies; use preform, blocker, and finisher impressions with presses/hammers; reheat as needed.
- Additional operations like edging (creating defined edges), fullering (spreading metal), and cogging (reducing thickness) are used to distribute metal efficiently before the final impression, ensuring minimal material waste and optimal structural integrity.
- Operations can involve open-die forging for large, simple shapes, closed-die forging for complex geometries, or roll forging to reduce cross-sections and elongate the billet.
Flash Trimming Operations
Removal of Excess Material: After impression-die forging, the excess metal (flash) formed around the edges is removed to ensure the component matches design dimensions.
Use of Dedicated Trim Dies: The forging is placed in a trimming press with specially designed dies that accurately cut the flash without affecting the forged blank.
Precision & Quality: Trimming ensures smooth edges, prepares the part for machining or heat treatment, and maintains dimensional accuracy while minimizing material waste.
Heat Treatment Operations
Strength and Hardness Optimization: Apply processes like normalizing, quenching, or tempering to achieve the desired combination of strength and hardness in the forged component.
Stress Relief and Toughness Improvement: Use annealing or solution treatment to reduce internal stresses, improve ductility, and enhance toughness for better service performance.
Final Property Enhancement: Apply aging or precipitation hardening where required to fine-tune mechanical properties, ensuring the component meets strict specifications for durability and reliability.
Inspection and Packaging Operations
Quality Verification: Conduct dimensional checks, visual inspections, and metallurgical tests to ensure each component meets design and material specifications.
Documentation: Record inspection results, certifications, and process compliance to maintain traceability and quality records for each batch of components.
Protection and Packaging: Apply protective coatings if needed and package components securely to prevent damage during handling, storage, and shipment to the customer.