Improvement of materials and tools for thixoforming of steels

The thixoforming of steels is so complex that it requires more investigations regarding both, the materials and the technical tools dedicated to the elaboration of the process. In this paper we will show new results concerning the material development and the tool improvements. These improvements include experimental and numerical ones. Indeed, new steel grades were developed that offer a large thixoforming process window which allows a secure conduct of the process if we assume that the semi-solid forming has to be investigated in an adequate range of liquid fraction. Tanks to the simulations of the inductive heating process, the other main results consist on the developments of the heating techniques that are suitable for the achieving of the sine qua none condition to the semi-solid process, which is the uniform temperature distribution in the reheated billet. We will also show the experimental strengthening of the simulation results. Some near net shape parts, realized within the process will be shown and discussed. Last but not least the results will show the large technical and economical potential of thixoforging.