Whole-process modeling of titanium disc forming for gradient distributions of temperature and deformation

Gradient distributions of temperature and deformation (GDTD) are crucial for achieving dual-performance discs of titanium alloys which is required by the service environment of aeroengine. However, heating, cooling and deforming sequence in the whole process of the titanium disc forming, which leads to difficulties for achieving GDTD due to a lot of parameters. To solve this problem, a whole-process model of the titanium disc forming for GDTD has been established. In the model, heating and cooling via heat radiation, conduction and convection, and deforming by local loading with mold chilling are all considered. Experiments on heating and cooling as well as deforming were carried out by using a furnace and the Gleeble-3500 machine. The experimental data are used to determine thermal parameters and constitutive relations of the IMI834 titanium alloy, and then to verify the reliability of the model. Then the model was used to simulate the evolution rules of temperature and deformation of the titanium disc. The results show that the heating surface, furnace temperature, billet profile and loading rate play the core role for the control of GDTD, and thus a set of parameters were determined. Therefore, this work provides a base for developing a new forming technology of the dual-performance titanium discs with the approach of local heating and local loading.