Materion Corporation
Systems and methods for processing bulk metallic glass articles using near net shape casting and thermoplastic forming

Abstract:

Methods and systems for casting and thermoplastically forming bulk metallic glass articles are described. A molten alloy can be fed into a mold with a three-dimensional shape and a cavity. The mold is configured such that multiple two-dimensional cross sections of the cavity of the mold are different from one another in multiple first mathematical planes intersecting the cavity displaced from one another in a direction normal to the mathematical planes intersecting the cavity. Cooling the molten alloy in the mold provides one or more near net shape bulk metallic glass castings, can be thermoplastically formed using forms at a temperature above Tg to provide a bulk metallic glass article with a desired final shape.