Adjustable HIP Container Rim for Billet Shape Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional containers used in hot isostatic pressing (HIP) processes deform and become attached to the billet, leading to material loss and limited shape control, especially at the corners, and are not adjustable for varying powder charges, resulting in undesirable material removal and fixed billet sizes.
Innovation Solution
A container design with adjustable corner shape and volume, featuring a sliding rim with a chamfered configuration that allows for precise control over the billet shape and size, utilizing a crown-connected rim that can be adjusted along the axial direction to accommodate different powder volumes and minimize material loss during the HIP process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional container is used in HIP process, then the container provides sealing and containment for powder, but the container deforms and becomes attached to the billet causing material loss
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into separate components: a rigid body portion that maintains structural integrity and a deformable liner that contacts the powder. The liner deforms during HIP process while the rigid body maintains sealing, preventing material loss without compromising containment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
A deformable liner acts as an intermediary between the rigid container body and the powder. The liner absorbs the deformation and attachment to the billet, while the rigid body maintains sealing capability. This intermediary protects the valuable powder material from loss.
2Device complexity
If the container walls are straight and undeformed, then the container structure is simple, but the billet corners lack shape control requiring material removal
Solution Approach 1:
The container incorporates localized corner portions with specific geometries designed to control billet corner shapes. While the main container walls remain simple and straight, the corner regions have enhanced features that provide precise shape control during HIP processing, eliminating the need for material removal.
3Device complexity
If the container volume is fixed, then the container structure is simple, but the billet size cannot be adjusted for different powder charges
Solution Approach 1:
The container incorporates adjustable volume mechanisms that allow the container capacity to be changed. The rigid body maintains structural simplicity while incorporating movable elements or adjustable components that enable volume adaptation for different powder charges, providing billet size versatility without excessive complexity.
4Manufacturing precision
If material is removed from the billet to achieve desired shape, then the billet shape precision is improved, but the powder material is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed with pre-formed corner portions and controlled deformation features that create the desired billet shape during the HIP process itself. This preliminary shaping action eliminates or minimizes the need for subsequent material removal, preserving valuable powder material while achieving high shape accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The adjustable container design minimizes material loss and allows for precise control over the billet shape and size, reducing the need for post-processing material removal and enabling the production of billets with desired dimensions without excessive material waste.
Implementation Method 1
The rim of the container top is configured for sliding along the outer wall such that the volume of the interior is selectively adjustable
Implementation Method 2
The container is also subjected to an elevated temperature and pressurized on the outside using an inert gas such as e.g., argon to avoid chemical reaction
Implementation Method 3
the container is substantially deformed or crushed as the volume of the powder decreases during the HIP process
Implementation Method 4
The consolidation of these metal powders into a dense mass typically occurs under high pressures and temperatures in a process referred to as hot isostatic pressing (HIP)
Implementation Method 5
these powders are consolidated into a dense mass approaching 100 percent theoretical density
Implementation Method 6
the powders are placed into a container (sometimes referred to as a 'can') that has been sealed and its contents placed under a vacuum
Data Source
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AI summary
An improved container (201, 301) and method for forming billets using hot isostatic pressing is provided. The method and container (201, 301) allows for adjusting the volume of the container (201, 301)so as to obtain a billet of the desired shape based on selected powder charge for the container (201, 301). In addition, the corner of the container (201, 301) can be adjusted to allow for elimination of edge effects and further shape control in the resulting billet.