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First Subsea's metals forging research project has reached a significant milestone. The first, full scale, quenching trial has been completed. The results will be used to verify the cooling model developed during the first phase of the project.
The way in which the forging is cooled has a bearing on its eventual physical performance in the field.
Forging Research Project
First Subsea is undertaking the forging research project in collaboration with the University of Sheffield's Institute for Microstructural and Mechanical Process Engineering (IMMPETUS), under a Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme.
The objective of the project is to fully understand what happens during the forging process and, in so doing, better characterise the micro structure of forged metals, and its relation to Charpy toughness values.
The two-year project is taking an in-depth look at all aspects of the forging process including: chemical composition of the steel material, forging reduction ratio, heat treatment processes, quenching and cooling rates and test procedures.
Quenching Trial
The recent full scale, quenching trial was undertaken to verify a computer model that simulates the cooling gradient for the entire length of the billet, and relates this to the micro structure of the forged steel. The model also incorporates different parameters such as geometry, physical properties of the billet and quenching media.
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We now have the empirical data needed to verify our cooling model. This gives us the ability to accurately predict the cooling rate and relate this to the mechanical properties at different positions in the billet, including Charpy impact and tensile tests. |
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| Paul Hughes, business development manager, First Subsea |
For further information on the First Subsea forging research project contact Brian Green on +44 (0)1524 387777 and e-mail briang@firstsubsea.com.
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