Thermo Mechanical Processing

Relevance to Industry

With the metals processing and simulation expertise at IMMRI, we are able to optimize and improve thermo mechanical processes and products, from casting through to downstream treatments. A major benefit of physical and computer simulations is reducing the capital expenditure of industrial processes and product development, especially by decreasing the need for online trials.

GLEEBLE 1500
Thermo Mechanical Simulator

	Specialised Areas:
INSTRON Tensile Test Machine	Processing: Continuous Casting:	Effect/Phenomena: Solidification, Segregation, High temperature mechanical properties.
	Reheating:	Dissolution, Grain growth, Diffusion, Oxidation/Scale.
	Hot Rolling:	Recrystallisation, Flow stress, Roll forces, Critical temperatures
THETA Dilatometer	Controlled Cooling:	Transformation, Hardenability, Expansion and contraction.
	Coiling:	Precipitation, Grain growth, Yield point elongation.
	Cold Rolling:	Work hardening, Temper rolling, Roll forces.
	Annealing:	Static recrystallisation.

Product Development: Alloy Design:	Effect/ Phenomena: Structure-property relationships, Weldability, Hardenability.	GAMMA Differential Dilatometer Computer Modelling
Forming:	Formability, Texture, Strain aging, Yield-tensile ratio, Yield point elongation.
Welding:	Flush butt-, Upset pressure- and resistance-welding, HAZ studies.
Heat Treatment:	Annealing, Quenching and Tempering, Austenitising, Recrystallisation studies.

Dynamic Precipitation

1. Cracking in low carbon-boron steels
	Hot ductility curves (INSTRON) showing that B:N ratios above 0.5 improve ductility and reduce the risk of transverse corner cracking in continuous casting.

2. Recrystallisation in Nb-steel plate
	Flow stress in 0.16 % C - 0.028 % Nb steel as a function of inverse absolute temperature during a multiple pass plate rolling simulation (GLEEBLE 1500). The sudden increase in flow stress with 1/T indicates the start of the no-recrystallisation region which produces finer grain sizes and improves mechanical properties.

3. Mathematical modelling of runout table (ROT) cooling of strip steel
	Predicted front-end temperature in a 5mm steel strip subjected to laminar spray cooling on a runout table. The installation of proportional valves along the ROT enables an essentially linear cooling profile down to low coiling temperatures and improves on-line control.

4. Continuous cooling transformation
	Continuous cooling transformation diagram for 0.24C-1.5Mn-0.87Cr-0.032Ti-B steel. (THETA Dilatometer, austenitized at 900 °C, prior austenite grain size = ASTM 10)