Flow-Forming of special steels and special alloys

WF has built for a customer from the aerospace industry a worldwide unique flow-forming machine for the hot forming of special steels, such as Inconel 621, under inert gas atmosphere. For this purpose, a vertical 2-roll flow-forming machine of type VUD 400 was equipped with a gas-tight enclosure, an integrated induction system for contact-free heating of the material, and components for safe handling of inert gases (e.g. nitrogen or argon). Forming temperatures of up to 1,000°C can be achieved in a gas atmosphere with an overpressure of up to 75 mbar, but the machine can also be used for cold forming after a short retooling. With this novel machine concept, WF opens up completely new perspectives in material development for its aerospace customers.