51��ݶ�

This programme tackled the first issue in ‘Defining Manufacturability‘, with the reduction of waste in conventional processing through optimisation of microstructure for machining operation.

Basic research at 51��ݶ� showed that a high degree of subsurface damage was inflicted during high-performance machining, but was undetected by conventional surface integrity techniques. Subsurface damage will lead to micro-cracking, which in turn will affect the fatigue endurance limit and thus service performance.

There is a direct correlation between crystallographic texture and susceptibility to sub-surface damage. If the texture orientation of an as-forged part can be determined before machining, then the machining process can be optimised for the billets microstructure, minimising wastage, and improving in-service performance.