COMBINATION OF PROCESSES FOR MAKING WROUGHT COMPONENTS

摘要

The present invention combines pre-wrought processes with conventional forging processes to produce orthopaedic components at reduced cost and lead-time, but comparable to conventional forging in ductility and strength. In this invention, the wrought barstock used conventionally for forging feedstock is replaced with a preform, blank, bar or other pre-wrought material exhibiting the required ductile strength and refined grain structure to be forgeable. A critical aspect of this invention is that the fine grain structure of the pre-wrought material provides improved ductile strength and sufficient forgeability to the material. This bar or preform may then be forged to produce grain size refinement and increase in material integrity. Three categories of pre-wrought processes according to the invention include forming the material using metal molds; processes that achieve the necessary ductility and refined grain structure for wrought processing through rapid heat removal through the component or a quenching atmosphere or gas; and processes that achieve the necessary ductility and refined grain structure through consolidation of powder or semi-solid material under conditions which restrict coarsening of the grain structure.