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Net Shape
Near-net-shape is an industrial manufacturing technique. As the name implies, the initial production of the item is very close to the final, or ''net'', shape. This reduces the need for surface finishing. By minimizing the use of finishing methods like machining or grinding, near-net-shape production eliminates more than two-thirds of the production costs in some industries. Processes The following are various near-net-shape processes categorized by material. Ceramics * Gelcasting * Ceramic injection molding * Spray forming *Structural ceramic production Composites * Lanxide process Plastics *Injection moulding *Rapid prototyping Metals *Casting **Permanent mold casting *Powder metallurgy * Linear friction welding * Friction welding *Metal injection molding *Rapid prototyping * Spray forming * Superplastic forming *Cold forming *Semi-solid metal casting *Photochemical machining *Hot isostatic pressing Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) is a manufacturing process, used to reduce t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Surface Finishing
Surface finishing is a broad range of industrial processes that alter the surface of a manufactured item to achieve a certain property. Finishing processes may be employed to: improve product appearance, adhesion or wettability, solderability, corrosion resistance, tarnish resistance, the chemical resistance, the wear resistance, hardness, modify electrical conductivity, remove burrs and other surface flaws, and control the surface friction.. In limited cases some of these techniques can be used to restore original dimensions to salvage or repair an item. An unfinished surface is often called '' mill finish''. These processes can improve the durability, performance and even the appearance of the surface being finished. Surface finishing is often one of the final steps taken when working metal and is essential for guaranteeing that metal components meet the requirements of the necessary finish. Surface finishing processes can be categorized by how they affect the workpiece: ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Powder Metallurgy
Powder metallurgy (PM) is a term covering a wide range of ways in which materials or components are made from metal powders. PM processes are sometimes used to reduce or eliminate the need for subtractive manufacturing, subtractive processes in manufacturing, lowering material losses and reducing the cost of the final product. This occurs especially often with small metal parts, like gears for small machines. Some porous products, allowing liquid or gas to permeate them, are produced in this way. They are also used when melting a material is impractical, due to it having a high melting point, or an alloy of two mutually insoluble materials, such as a mixture of copper and graphite. In this way, powder metallurgy can be used to make unique materials impossible to get from melting or forming in other ways. A very important product of this type is tungsten carbide. Tungsten carbide is used to cut and form other metals and is made from tungsten carbide particles bonded with cobalt. Tu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hot Isostatic Pressing
Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) is a manufacturing process, used to reduce the porosity of metals and increase the density of many ceramic materials. This improves the material's mechanical properties and workability. The HIP process subjects a component to both elevated temperature and isostatic gas pressure within a high-pressure containment vessel, unlike the cold isostatic pressing (CIP), where the component is maintained at room temperature. The pressurizing gas most widely used is argon. An inert gas is used so that the material does not chemically react. The choice of metal can minimize negative effects of chemical reactions. Nickel, stainless or mild steel, or other metals can be chosen depending on the desired redox conditions. The chamber is heated, causing the pressure inside the vessel to increase. Many systems use associated gas pumping to achieve the necessary pressure level. Pressure is applied to the material from all directions (hence the term "isostatic"). For ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Photochemical Machining
Photochemical machining (PCM), also known as photochemical milling or photo etching, is a chemical milling process used to fabricate sheet metal components using a photoresist and etchants to corrosively machine away selected areas. This process emerged in the 1960s as an offshoot of the printed circuit board industry. Photo etching can produce highly complex parts with very fine detail accurately and economically. This process can offer economical alternatives to stamping, punching, laser or water jet cutting, or wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) for thin gauge precision parts. The tooling is inexpensive and quickly produced. This makes the process useful for prototyping and allows for easy changes in mass production. It maintains dimensional tolerances and does not create burrs or sharp edges. It can make a part in hours after receiving the drawing. PCM can be used on virtually any commercially available metal or alloy, of any hardness. It is limited to material ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Semi-solid Metal Casting
Semi-solid metal casting (SSM) is a near net shape variant of die casting. The process is used today with non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium, copper, and magnesium. It can work with higher temperature alloys that lack suitable die materials. The process combines the advantages of casting and forging. The process is named after the fluid property thixotropy, which is the phenomenon that allows this process to work. Thixotropic fluids flow when sheared, but thicken when standing. The potential for this type of process was first recognized in the early 1970s.. Its three variants are thixocasting, rheocasting, and thixomolding. SIMA refers to a specialized process to prepare aluminum alloys for thixocasting using hot and cold working. SSM is done at a temperature that puts the metal between its liquidus and solidus temperature, ideally 30 to 65% solid. The mixture must have low viscosity to be usable, and to reach this low viscosity the material needs a globular primary surrounded ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cold Forming
In metallurgy, cold forming or cold working is any metalworking process in which metal is shaped below its recrystallization temperature, usually at the ambient temperature at or near room temperature. Such processes are contrasted with hot working techniques like hot rolling, forging, welding, etc. The same or similar terms are used in glassmaking for the equivalents; for example cut glass is made by "cold work", cutting or grinding a formed object. Cold forming techniques are usually classified into four major groups: squeezing, bending, drawing, and shearing. They generally have the advantage of being simpler to carry out than hot working techniques. Unlike hot working, cold working causes the crystal grains and inclusions to distort following the flow of the metal; which may cause work hardening and anisotropic material properties. Work hardening makes the metal harder, stiffer, and stronger, but less plastic, and may cause cracks of the piece. The possible u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Superplastic Forming
In materials science, superplasticity is a state in which solid crystalline material is deformed well beyond its usual breaking point, usually over about 400% during tensile deformation. Such a state is usually achieved at high homologous temperature. Examples of superplastic materials are some fine-grained metals and ceramics. Other non-crystalline materials (amorphous) such as silica glass ("molten glass") and polymers also deform similarly, but are not called superplastic, because they are not crystalline; rather, their deformation is often described as Newtonian fluid. Superplastically deformed material gets thinner in a very uniform manner, rather than forming a "neck" (a local narrowing) that leads to fracture. Also, the formation of microvoids, which is another cause of early fracture, is inhibited. Superplasticity must not be confused with superelasticity. Historical developments of superplasticity Some evidence of superplastic-like flow in metals has been found in som ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metal Injection Molding
Metal injection molding (MIM) is a metalworking process in which finely-powdered metal is mixed with binder material to create a "feedstock" that is then shaped and solidified using injection molding. Metal injection molding combines the most useful characteristics of powder metallurgy and plastic injection molding to facilitate the production of small, complex-shaped metal components with outstanding mechanical properties. The molding process allows high volume, complex parts to be shaped in a single step. After molding, the part undergoes conditioning operations to remove the binder (debinding) and densify the powders. Finished products are small components used in many industries and applications. The behavior of MIM feedstock is governed by rheology, the study of sludges, suspensions, and other non-Newtonian fluids. Due to current injection molding equipment limitations, products must be molded using quantities of 100 grams or less per "shot" into the mold. This sho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Permanent Mold Casting
Permanent mold casting is a metal casting process that employs reusable Molding (process), molds ("permanent molds"), usually made from metal. The most common process uses gravity to fill the mold, however gas pressure or a vacuum are also used. A variation on the typical gravity casting process, called slush casting, produces hollow castings. Common casting metals are aluminium, magnesium, and copper alloys. Other materials include tin, zinc, and lead alloys and iron and steel are also cast in graphite molds.. Typical products are components such as gears, spline (mechanical), splines, wheels, gear housings, Piping and plumbing fitting, pipe fittings, fuel injector, fuel injection housings, and automotive engine pistons. Process There are four main types of permanent mold casting: gravity, slush, low-pressure, and vacuum. Gravity process The gravity process begins by preheating the mold to . to ease the flow and reduce thermal damage to the casting. The mold cavity is then coat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Machining
Machining is a manufacturing process where a desired shape or part is created using the controlled removal of material, most often metal, from a larger piece of raw material by cutting. Machining is a form of subtractive manufacturing, which utilizes machine tools, in contrast to ''additive manufacturing'' (e.g. 3D printing processes, 3D printing), which uses controlled addition of material. Machining is a major process of the manufacture of many metal products, but it can also be used on other materials such as wood, plastic, ceramic, and composite material, composites. A person who specializes in machining is called a machinist. As a commercial venture, machining is generally performed in a machine shop, which consists of one or more workrooms containing primary machine tools. Although a machine shop can be a standalone operation, many businesses maintain internal machine shops or tool rooms that support their specialized needs. Much modern-day machining uses Numerical control, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
