C Stadler

Prototyping as a Tool for Rapid Development of Components for Sporting Equipment

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the potential of hydroforming process combined with the Engineering Design Science (EDS) in single piece production of a technical product. The chosen demonstration product for this integrated approach is a ski riser for extreme carving. Its load-bearing base is an intricate-shape part that is well suited for modified hydroforming process in an isostatic press. In order to reduce production costs, rapid prototyping and rapid tooling methods were used.

Capabilities of Unconventional Processing of Multiphase AHSS Steels

Today, new types of materials and procedures are sought continuously in order to achieve lower manufacturing costs, reduced energy consumption, shorter production times and other savings. In terms of the materials, TRIP steels are an attractive choice, as they provide an excellent combination of strength and ductility. They also offer good energy absorption in crash scenarios. Their main use is in the production of automotive body parts. One can expect that well-chosen processing parameters and unconventional forming routes would enable a wider range of thin-walled products to be made of these steels. Those could include thin-walled hollow products with excellent mechanical properties imparted by effective manufacturing routes at relatively low costs. If these materials are to be employed in real-world forming processes, an appropriate forming route must be chosen, integrated into an appropriate production chain and then optimized in terms of its parameters. This article describes a study of a rotary spin extrusion process. In the first stage, the impact of strain magnitude on microstructural evolution was studied in CMnSi steel using physical modelling of thermomechanical treatment. Subsequently, trials of a real-life technology chain, which efficiently combined incremental forming and heat treatment, were carried out on low-alloy CMnSi and CMnSiNb steels. The resulting products were stepped hollow parts of various diameters. Their strength was close to 1000 MPa and their elongation level exceeded 20%.