4 ms·
>Metals are uniform and broadly predictable. That's not true at all: metals have a grain structure, and how those grains are oriented can change the metal's pr
by midoridensha 3y ago
>Metals are uniform and broadly predictable.
That's not true at all: metals have a grain structure, and how those grains are oriented can change the metal's properties in different directions.
>Composites vary cure to cure.
Metal castings can vary from cast to cast.
- omniglottal 3y agoForging and heat treatment are processes to introduce uniformity of metallic grain structures. These have been perfected over hundreds of years. I challenge you to find a single structural component in a safety-critical context which is made of cast metal.
- durundal 3y agohttps://www.investacast.com/industries/safety-critical/ https://www.investacast.com/industries/safety-critical/ These folks, among others, make a lot of them. You are also incorrect about forging being used to introduce uniformity into the grain, it is typically (though not always, as some forging operations may just be for establishing shape) to stretch the grains such that they are oriented along the load path, resulting in higher allowable stresses. Look up highly loaded aircraft parts like landing gear, they are typically forged to establish the grain direction and then machined to final dimension. Nothing stops you from heat treating metal after it has been cast, either. Some heat treatments are also expressly to produce nonuniform conditions in the metal, case hardening for example.
- jacquesm 3y agoAs well as chemical treatments.