Thixoforming

PrefaceSEMI-SOLID FORMING OF ALUMINIUM AND STEEL ¿ INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEWIntroductionEarly Work on Flow Behaviour and Technology DevelopmentToday¿s Technologies of Semi-Solid Metal FormingPART I: Material Fundamentals of Metal Forming in the Semi-Solid StateMETALLURGICAL ASPECTS OF SSM PROCESSINGIntroductionTemperature Sensitivity S* and Solid-Liquid FractionSlurry Formation in the Rheo- and Thixo-RoutesProneness to Segregation and Hot TearingImpact of Variations in Alloy CompositionConclusionMATERIAL ASPECTS OF STEEL THIXOFORMINGIntroductionBackgroundAlloying SystemsStructural Parameter Development and Material SelectionMelting BehaviourMicrostructure Analysis and Material PropertiesConclusionsDESIGN OF Al AND Al-Li ALLOYS FOR THIXOFORMINGProduction of Raw Material for Thixoforming ProcessesChemical Grain Refinement of Commercial ThixoalloysFundamentals of Aluminium-Lithium AlloysDevelopment of Aluminium-Lithium-Alloys for Semi-Solid ProcessingConsideration of the Forming Pressure on Thixoalloy Development Preparation of Principle Components from Al-Li ThixoalloysProduction of Al-Li Demonstrators by RheocastingRecycling of Aluminium-Lithium Alloys from Thixoforming ProcessesTHERMOCHEMICAL SIMULATION OF PHASE FORMATIONMethods and ObjectivesCalculations for the Tool Steel X210CrW12Calculations for the Bearing Steel 100Cr6Calculations for the High-Speed Steel HS6-5-2PART II: Modelling the Flow Behaviour of Semi-Solid Metal AlloysMODELLING THE FLOW BEHAVIOUR OF SEMI-SOLID METAL ALLOYSEmpirical Analysis of the Flow BehaviourNumerical Modelling of Flow BehaviourSimulation of Cooling ChannelA PHYSICAL AND MICROMECHEMICAL MODEL FOR SEMI-SOLID BEHAVIOURIntroductionBasic Concepts of Micromechanical and HomogenizationModelling Semi-Solid BehaviourResults and DiscussionConclusionPART III: Tool Technologies for Forming of Semi-Solid MetalsTOOL TECHNOLOGIES FOR FORMING OF SEMI-SOLID METALSIntroduction ¿ Suitable Tool Concepts for the Thixoforming ProcessThin-Film PVD/PECVD

Gerhard Hirt is Professor at the Institute of Metal Forming of RWTH Aachen University, Germany, since 2004 and currently serves as the speaker of the collaborative research centre SFB289 "Thixoforming". He studied mechanical engineering at the RWTH and received his Ph.D. in the field of direct strip casting at the Institute of Metal Forming in 1988. His research activities include work in the field of semi-solid metal forming from 1991 to 1999 during his position as general manager of EFU GmbH, a company offering equipment and R&D service in metal casting and forming. From 1999 until 2004 he was Professor for Materials Technology and Precision Forming of Saarland University in Saarbrücken.

Reiner Kopp is Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Metal Forming at the RWTH Aachen University, where he served as Full Professor, Vice President of RWTH and as Dean of the Faculty of Mining, Metallurgy and Geoscience. He took up his academic activities after an industrial career as Head of Production Technology R&D Department at Dornier GmbH. His further activities include several chairmanships and advisory board memberships, e.g., at ThyssenKrupp Stainless. Likewise notable is his involvement in the Board of German Academy of Technical Sciences, Acatech, and vice chairmanship of the international organisation Euro-CASE. He is also a member of the Academy of Sciences of North Rhine Westphalia and the Academy Cirp.