HIP Supporting the Casting Industry

With typical pressures from 400 to 2,070 bar (5,800 to 30,000 psi) and temperatures up to 2,000°C (3,632°F), HIP can achieve 100% of maximum theoretical density and improve the ductility and fatigue resistance of critical, high-performance materials. The components are often of net shape or near net shape configuration.

A proven process for hight-performance parts

Common applications for Hot Isostatic Pressing include defect healing of castings, consolidation of Titanium powder and diffusion bonding of dissimilar metals or alloys. The technology is expanding into new applications such as very large castings as well as heat treatment of Aluminium components by T6 or hardening of iron-based materials by modifying the HIP gas mixtures.

Why you should HIP

100% of theoretical density

• Longer life time
• Predictive life time
• Lighter and/or low weight designs

Improved material properties

• Increased mechanical properties e.g. fatigue, wear, abrasion and elongation
• Reduced scatter
• Increased corrosion properties

More efficient production

• Decreased scrap loss
• Less NDT

Pore elimination of aluminium gives dramatic effects of the fatigue life when it comes to stress levels and number of cycles before failure. Up to 10 times improvement can be achieved by HIPing in the right conditions. By applying right conditions in the HIP, post-treatment steps like T6 and ageing, the total cycle times can be shortened with 50%

Improving parts for the aerospace industry

Of all the HIP installations in the World, more than 50% is utilized to consolidate and improve the material properties of Titanium and Super-alloys for the aerospace industry. Today HIP is the standard procedure to give longer and predictive life time of the fan blades in an aircraft engine.

Regardless of alloy system, HIP is the way forward for optimized material properties and save cost for a safe and efficient production with high quality.

Thermal treatment for aluminium processing

Picture from Matthew M. Diem

Improving parts for the aerospace industry

Courtesy of Bodycote

HIP Quenching Values

Controlled cooling rates up to 3,000°C/min can be achieved by combining possibilities of pressure and temperature control that the URQ can offer:

• Heat treatment steps can be included into the HIP cycle
• Shortened lead time
• Process steps, like stress relief, can be removed from the usual process route to increase productivity and lower cost/kg

Benefits compared to conventional heat treatment methods:

• Programmable temperature distribution with good accuracy
• No distortion due to reduced thermal stresses
• No cleaning or drying of parts after quenching
• Reduced cracking

New and unique materials can be achieved

• Material optimization
• Improved fatigue and ductility
• Non-castable alloy compositions