The Production Process of titanium alloy bars

The Production Process of Titanium alloy bars (Ti 6Al 4V)

The process of smelting Titanium alloy bars includes multiple steps to ensure the quality and purity of the final product. Here is a brief overview of the process:

1. Melting Process:

The raw materials are received and sent for testing of chemical composition before they are used.

2. Charge Mixture:

The raw materials used in the process include sponge titanium, aluminum-vanadium alloy, aluminum beans, TiO2, and iron nails. The amount of each component is determined according to the AMS4928Q requirements and is weighed in proportion to create the charge mixture.

3. Electrode Pressing:

The charge mixture is pressed into the desired shape of the electrode rod through uniform mixing.

4. Welding:

The electrode rod is welded using a vacuum plasma welder.

5. Smelting:

The electrode rod is melted in a three-time vacuum electric arc furnace using three different crucibles with diameters of 440/460mm, 520mm, and 560mm, respectively. The internal vacuum conditions of the furnace are maintained at ≤5Pa to ensure the purity of the molten material.

6. Shrinking the Head:

At the end of smelting, through multilevel current reduction to reduce the pool depth, therefor, the shrinkage of the head of ingot can be reduced to improve yield.

7. Skin Removal:

The ingot is passed through an ultrasonic tester to determine the exact location of the shrinkage cavity. It is then cut open using a saw to remove the cavity.

8. Forging:

The ingot is processed through a 2000T oil press with a deformation range of 40%-60% and a final forging temperature of ≥850℃. The forging process is done in two stages, the first heating the ingot to a temperature of 150-200°C higher than the transformation point and the second heating to a temperature of 30-50°C above the transformation point. Finally, the ingot is forged through seven cycles before it is elongated, rolled and reduced by 50°C at the transformation point.

9. Annealing:

The next step of production is annealing, a process that makes the metal softer and more ductile.

10. Cutting and Sampling:

A sample is taken from the finished product to conduct physical and chemical testing.

11. Mechanical Processing:

The product is subjected to mechanical processing to ensure the surface roughness is no more than 3.2um.

12. Quality Inspection:

The product is inspected under a ultrasonic wave to ensure uniformity in the material structure, and checked for surface quality, integrity, impact resistance, low and high magnification structures.

13. Storage or Delivery:

Once it passes all the quality tests, the product is ready for storage or shipment.

By following this strict production process, the end result is a high-quality TC4 alloy rod that can meet the demanding needs of various industries.