Study of plastic conformability of microalloyed steel forged by ausforming

• Grant number: 05/00120-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2005
• End date: June 30, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Manufacturing Processes
• Principal Investigator: Sergio Tonini Button
• Grantee: Mauricio Lopez Santaella
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica (FEM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The crescent demand for materials and products with high overall quality and reduced costs makes necessary the study of new manufacturing processes and engineering materials. Ausforming is a thermo-mechanical process that involves the deformation of austenite within a metastable region. This process is very suitable to near-net shape manufacturing of parts with controlled mechanical properties, strength and toughness, and also needs less energy and press capacity if compared to warm forging. The option in working with microalloyed steels is due to the fact that their application in automotive parts shows a constant and important growth in last years. These steels present high mechanical properties after hot forging without the need of conventional post heat treatment (quenching and temper) resulting in a considerable reduction of process lead times and costs.