Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) is a proven process for heat treatment, consolidation of powder, densification of products – such as castings, sintered materials, and ceramic parts – or for diffusion bonding applications. While HIP has been around for decades, we are seeing new applications in high-performance parts.
Aalberts surface technologies has decades in the thermal processing business and boasts two QIH 122 M URC presses located side-by-side on the shop floor in Greenville, SC.
HIP is the simultaneous application of heat and high pressure to materials. This process is ideal to improve the reliability and performance of your product by eliminating porosity achieving 100% theoretical density.
Applying heat and pressure simultaneously eliminates internal voids and defects such as porosity in castings and lack-of-fusion defects in additively manufactured parts.
HIP is effective with almost all materials – including metals, ceramics, and plastic – and can be applied to a large range of alloys including titanium, steels, aluminum, copper, and magnesium. It improves materials properties such as fatigue resistance, creep, ductility, and workability of parts designed for mission-critical applications. The HIP process densifies, repairs, and creates a uniform microstructure of additive manufactured parts.
Examination of HIP’ed parts by non-destructive testing techniques show excellent results. In Powder Metallurgy, the HIP process can produce materials from metallic compositions that are difficult or impossible to forge or cast.
A HIP unit consists of a high temperature furnace enclosed within a pressure vessel. Components are heated under a uniform, isostatic pressure of inert Argon gas. Temperatures can go up to 1,250C (2,282F) and pressure ranges from 15,000 to 30,000 psi. When components are treated with HIP, the simultaneous application of heat and pressure eliminates internal voids and microporosity through a combination of plastic deformation, creep and diffusion bonding. The additive manufactured product will be significantly improved after this process.
Both of our HIP units are equipped with proprietary Uniform Rapid Cooling (URC) feature. URC combines solution and age in a single process. High Pressure Heat Treat (HPHT) streamlines the steps involved in material densification and heat treatment. This innovative approach enables all processed components to cool uniformly in a controlled environment, resulting in minimal thermal distortion and non-uniform grain growth.
If you are looking to improve material properties of your parts designed for mission-critical applications, Aalberts surface technologies has the post-processing solutions you need.
Our team has the skill and expertise to solve even your most complex thermal processing challenge. Ask us a question or request a quote and let’s get started together to provide faster lead times and deliver cleaner parts – all at a competitive price.
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