A method of forming a titanium alloy micro gear

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for forming titanium alloy micro gears, comprising the following steps: S1, placing a titanium alloy rod into an electrode induction gas atomizing furnace; the titanium alloy rod comprises, by weight percentage, Al: 5.5%-6.75%; V: 3.5%-4.5%; Y: ≤2.0%; Fe: ≤0.3%; impurities: ≤1.0%; the remainder being Ti; S2, melting the titanium alloy rod under electrode induction heating to form a liquid alloy; S3, by controlling the rate of decrease of the atomization pressure, intermittently spraying a measured amount of liquid alloy from the nozzle of the atomizing furnace, with each spray forming a micro gear; the nozzle includes a body, on which a through-hole forming cavity is provided; the cross-section of the forming cavity is the circumferential outer contour of the micro gear to be formed; S4, cooling and screening the sprayed micro gears to obtain the desired titanium alloy micro gear. This invention improves the processing efficiency and quality of titanium alloy gears through the atomization forming process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of titanium alloy micro gear manufacturing, and particularly to a method for forming titanium alloy micro gears. Background Technology

[0002] Titanium and titanium alloys possess advantages such as low density, high specific strength, low coefficient of thermal expansion, good corrosion resistance, high compatibility, and ease of welding, making them promising for applications in aerospace, medical devices, and automotive manufacturing. Compared to traditional steel gears, titanium alloy gears are lighter and stronger, reducing the mass of mechanical systems and improving their performance and efficiency. Furthermore, titanium alloy gears can operate at high temperatures and in harsh environments, exhibiting good corrosion resistance. Metal injection molding, as a key method for manufacturing precision and complex titanium alloy parts, has a significant impact on product performance and quality through its sintering process.

[0003] Currently, the machining of titanium alloy gears still faces several challenges, primarily including: high strength and low thermal conductivity: Titanium alloys possess high strength but low thermal conductivity. High temperatures are easily generated during gear machining, leading to accelerated tool wear and potential workpiece deformation and surface quality issues; bonding and heat treatment: The manufacture of titanium alloy gears typically requires bonding and heat treatment. Bonding involves bonding the gear blank to the mandrel, requiring high bond strength and stability at high temperatures. During heat treatment, the gear's microstructure and properties need to be controlled to ensure good strength and toughness; difficult cutting: Titanium alloys have poor machinability, with high cutting forces, high cutting temperatures, and a tendency to cause tool wear. The high strength and low thermal conductivity of titanium alloy gears further complicate the machining process.

[0004] Therefore, in order to overcome the above difficulties, it is urgent to study new manufacturing processes for titanium alloy gears. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for forming titanium alloy micro gears, which improves the processing efficiency and quality of titanium alloy gears through atomization forming technology. Furthermore, it offers significant advantages in the field of micro gear manufacturing.

[0006] The technical solution to achieve the objective of this invention is as follows: This invention includes the following steps:

[0007] S1. Place the titanium alloy rod into the electrode induction gas atomization furnace; the titanium alloy rod comprises, by weight percentage: Al: 5.5%-6.75%; V: 3.5%-4.5%; Y: ≤2.0%; Fe: ≤0.3%; impurities: ≤1.0%; the remainder being Ti;

[0008] S2. The titanium alloy rod is melted under electrode induction heating and heated to above its melting point to form a liquid alloy.

[0009] S3. Micro Gear Forming: First, by controlling the rate of decrease of the atomization pressure, a fixed amount of liquid alloy is intermittently sprayed from the nozzle of the electrode induction gas atomizing furnace, and each spray forms a micro gear. Before the micro gear emerges from the nozzle, it is in a state of being shaped. The end face of the micro gear in the state of being shaped is a flat end face near the nozzle pressure end, and the end face of the micro gear in the state of being shaped is a shape-removable end face. The shape-removable end face has a non-flat part to be removed. When the micro gear in the state of being shaped comes out of the nozzle outlet, the air nozzle set at the nozzle outlet blows away the non-flat part exposed at the nozzle outlet. After the non-flat part is blown away, the micro gear in the state of being shaped becomes a micro gear with flat ends and is sprayed out from the nozzle.

[0010] The nozzle includes a body, on which a through-hole forming cavity is provided; the cross-section of the forming cavity is the circumferential outer contour of the micro gear to be formed.

[0011] S4. Cool and screen the ejected micro gears to obtain the desired titanium alloy micro gears.

[0012] Furthermore, in step S2 above, the titanium alloy rod is heated to a temperature of 1660-1760°C to form a liquid alloy.

[0013] Furthermore, in step S3 above, the atomization pressure decreases at a rate of 40-60 mm / min, and the pressure is 4-6 MPa; the length of the forming cavity is 50 mm.

[0014] Furthermore, in step S3 above, the purging pressure of the air nozzle is 6-10 MPa.

[0015] Furthermore, in step S3 above, the ejected micro gears are cooled at a cooling rate of 40,000-70,000 K / s.

[0016] Furthermore, the outer diameter of the aforementioned formed inner cavity is 0.1 mm; the nozzle is made of a material that is resistant to high temperatures, corrosion, and friction. Step S4 produces a titanium alloy micro gear with a tip circle diameter of 0.1 mm and a module of 0.01.

[0017] This invention has positive effects: the micro gears prepared by this invention have the following characteristics:

[0018] (1) Complex shape fabrication capability: The atomization forming method can fabricate micro gears with complex geometries, including internal and external gears, and the tooth profile and pitch can be adjusted according to design requirements. This provides convenience for achieving micron-level precision and special shapes of micro gears;

[0019] (2) Dimensional accuracy and consistency: Atomization forming methods can produce micro gear products with high precision and consistency. By optimizing heating and cooling control parameters, consistency in particle size and shape can be achieved. This consistency results in a tighter fit between micro gears, improving overall performance;

[0020] (3) High material utilization: Combined with atomization technology, titanium alloy bars can be directly converted into precision gears, achieving high-efficiency material utilization. Compared with traditional machining methods, atomization forming can reduce material waste and processing losses;

[0021] (4) Flexibility in alloy composition control: The atomization forming method allows for flexible adjustment and control of the composition and structure of titanium alloy micro gears. By mixing different proportions of alloying elements, specific mechanical properties and wear resistance requirements can be achieved. Furthermore, compositional gradient control can be achieved in different regions during the forming process;

[0022] (5) High production efficiency: Atomization forming method enables mass production, improving production efficiency. Multiple gears can be manufactured simultaneously in a single forming process, effectively reducing processing time and costs. In addition, atomization forming can also achieve automated and continuous production, further improving production efficiency;

[0023] In summary, the atomization forming method for titanium alloy micro gears has advantages such as complex shape, high dimensional accuracy, high material utilization, flexible control of alloy composition, and high production efficiency, making it suitable for the rapid, efficient, and high-quality fabrication of micro gears. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To make the content of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings, wherein...

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electrode-induction gas atomizing furnace in this invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the nozzle structure in this invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the titanium alloy micro gear in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0028] (Example 1)

[0029] S1. Place the titanium alloy rod into electrode induction gas atomizing furnace 1 (e.g., Figure 1 Titanium alloy bars, by weight percentage, include Al: 5.5%-6.75%; V: 3.5%-4.5%; Y: ≤2.0%; Fe: ≤0.3%; impurities: ≤1.0%; the remainder is Ti.

[0030] S2. Heat the titanium alloy bar to 1660℃, exceeding its melting point, to form a liquid alloy.

[0031] S3. Micro-gear forming: First, by controlling the rate of decrease of the atomization pressure, a fixed amount of liquid alloy is intermittently sprayed from the nozzle of the electrode induction gas atomizing furnace 1, and each spray forms a micro-gear; before the micro-gear protrudes from the nozzle 2, it is a micro-gear in a shaping state; the end face of the micro-gear in the shaping state near the nozzle pressure end is a flat end face, and the end face of the micro-gear in the shaping state near the nozzle outlet is a shaping end face, with non-flat parts to be removed on the shaping end face; when the micro-gear in the shaping state comes out from the outlet of the nozzle 2, the air nozzle set at the outlet of the nozzle 2 blows away the non-flat parts protruding from the outlet of the nozzle 2; after the non-flat parts are blown away, the micro-gear in the shaping state becomes a micro-gear with flat ends, and is sprayed out from the nozzle.

[0032] The nozzle 2 includes a body with a through-hole forming cavity 21. The cross-section of the forming cavity 21 is the circumferential outer contour of the micro gear to be formed. The outer diameter of the forming cavity 21 is 0.1 mm. The structure of the nozzle 2 is visible. Figure 2 The material of nozzle 2 has high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and friction resistance.

[0033] Specifically, the atomization descent speed is controlled at 40-60 mm / min, and the pressure at 4-6 MPa; the length of the forming cavity is 50 mm; the air nozzle is controlled to be flat, and the pressure is 6-10 MPa; ensuring that each ejected particle is a miniature gear (such as...). Figure 3 );

[0034] S4. The ejected micro gears are cooled in a cooling tank 3 in a timely manner at a cooling rate of 40,000-70,000 K / s. After cooling, titanium alloy micro gears with a tooth tip circle diameter of 0.1 mm and a module of 0.01 are obtained by screening.

[0035] (Example 2)

[0036] S1. Place the titanium alloy rod into electrode induction gas atomizing furnace 1 (e.g., Figure 1 Titanium alloy bars, by weight percentage, include Al: 5.5%-6.75%; V: 3.5%-4.5%; Y: ≤2.0%; Fe: ≤0.3%; impurities: ≤1.0%; the remainder is Ti.

[0037] S2. Heat the titanium alloy bar to 1700℃, exceeding its melting point, to form a liquid alloy.

[0038] S3. Micro-gear forming: First, by controlling the rate of decrease of the atomization pressure, a fixed amount of liquid alloy is intermittently sprayed from the nozzle of the electrode induction gas atomizing furnace 1, and each spray forms a micro-gear; before the micro-gear protrudes from the nozzle 2, it is a micro-gear in a shaping state; the end face of the micro-gear in the shaping state near the nozzle pressure end is a flat end face, and the end face of the micro-gear in the shaping state near the nozzle outlet is a shaping end face, with non-flat parts to be removed on the shaping end face; when the micro-gear in the shaping state comes out from the outlet of the nozzle 2, the air nozzle set at the outlet of the nozzle 2 blows away the non-flat parts protruding from the outlet of the nozzle 2; after the non-flat parts are blown away, the micro-gear in the shaping state becomes a micro-gear with flat ends, and is sprayed out from the nozzle.

[0039] The nozzle 2 includes a body with a through-hole forming cavity 21. The cross-section of the forming cavity 21 is the circumferential outer contour of the micro gear to be formed. The outer diameter of the forming cavity 21 is 0.05 mm. The structure of the nozzle 2 is visible. Figure 2 The material of nozzle 2 has high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and friction resistance.

[0040] Specifically, the atomization descent speed is controlled at 40-60 mm / min, and the pressure at 4-6 MPa; the length of the forming cavity is 50 mm; the air nozzle is controlled to be flat, and the pressure is 6-10 MPa; ensuring that each ejected particle is a miniature gear (such as...). Figure 3 );

[0041] S4. The ejected micro gears are cooled in a cooling tank 3 in a timely manner at a cooling rate of 40,000-70,000 K / s. After cooling, titanium alloy micro gears with a tooth tip circle diameter of 0.05 mm and a module of 0.005 are obtained by screening.

[0042] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A forming method of a titanium alloy micro gear; characterized by Includes the following steps: S1. Place the titanium alloy rod into the electrode induction gas atomizing furnace; the titanium alloy rod comprises, by weight percentage: Al: 5.5%-6.75%; V: 3.5%-4.5%; Y: ≤2.0%; Fe: ≤0.3%; Impurities: ≤1.0%; The remainder is Ti; S2. The titanium alloy rod is melted under electrode induction heating and heated to above its melting point to form a liquid alloy. S3. Micro Gear Forming: First, by controlling the rate of decrease of the atomization pressure, a fixed amount of liquid alloy is intermittently sprayed from the nozzle of the electrode induction gas atomizing furnace, and each spray forms a micro gear. Before the micro gear emerges from the nozzle, it is in a state of being shaped. The end face of the micro gear in the state of being shaped is a flat end face near the nozzle pressure end, and the end face of the micro gear in the state of being shaped is a shape-removable end face. The shape-removable end face has a non-flat part to be removed. When the micro gear in the state of being shaped comes out of the nozzle outlet, the air nozzle set at the nozzle outlet blows away the non-flat part exposed at the nozzle outlet. After the non-flat part is blown away, the micro gear in the state of being shaped becomes a micro gear with flat ends and is sprayed out from the nozzle. The nozzle includes a body, on which a through-hole forming cavity is provided; the cross-section of the forming cavity is the circumferential outer contour of the micro gear to be formed. S4. Cool and screen the ejected micro gears to obtain the desired titanium alloy micro gears; In step S3, the atomization pressure decreases at a rate of 40-60 mm / min, and the pressure is 4-6 MPa; the length of the forming cavity is 50 mm.

2. A method of forming a titanium alloy microgear according to claim 1, wherein: In step S2, the titanium alloy rod is heated to a temperature of 1660~1760℃ to form a liquid alloy.

3. A method of forming a titanium alloy microgear according to claim 1, wherein: In step S4, the ejected micro gears are cooled at a cooling rate of 40,000-70,000 K / s.

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