VOLUME 23 | SE1 — ARMOR | SPECIAL EDITION 2002

TITANIUM'S GROWING ROLE IN DEFENSE
FRICTION STIR WELDING
PROCESSING AND PROPERTIES OF ALLVAC®
TITANIUM ARMOR CASTINGS Q&A
EVENTS
INFO

Titanium’s Growing Role in Defense Applications

By: James Olgilvy — Consultant & Larry Martin — Wah Chang

Titanium is increasingly targeted for defense applications and armor components in particular. The metal‘s lightweight (45% lighter than steel at equivalent strength levels) and excellent ballistic properties are the two main reasons for its popularity.

Additionally, some titanium alloys are corrosion resistant in harsh environments (such as salt water); are non-magnetic; can be fabricated with conventional processing methods; are available in many forms (wrought products such as plate, sheet, rod, pipe, wire, extrusions, stampings, castings, forgings, powders, super-plastic forms, etc.); have been proven in military applications; and are affordable.

One of the reasons for the increased interest in the metal is armed forces’ commitment to air-transported, rapid deployment of forces. Recent news articles describe vehicles with weight and armor protection problems. Weight is certainly an important issue. In one case, vehicles weighing 5-6% more than their target production weight experienced a reduced transport range of more than 200 miles.

Ballistics performance is another reason that titanium is starting to appear on designers‘ radar screens. In recent years, Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloys have been used to produce armor because they often provide better ballistic resistance than steel or aluminum alloys. In fact, these alloys are unique in that they perform well against a range of threats. For instance, 5083 aluminum armor offers performance similar to titanium against the high velocity 20mm fragment-simulating projectile (FSP) threat, but has a much lower mass efficiency against the kinetic energy rounds, such as the 14.5mm BS32 (as shown in Table 1). Titanium also outperforms RHA (rolled homogenous armor) steel against both threats. The combination of fragment and kinetic energy threats is a typical requirement for light to medium class armored vehicles, which makes this unique metal a material to consider.




Recently tested ATI Class 4 armor plate.


At this point, one might ask why titanium hasn‘t been used more often if weight and ballistics are such important issues. The most likely answer is that some designers are unfamiliar with the metal and others might be under the impression that titanium alloys are cost prohibitive. In addition, lighter weight was not considered as important in the past as it is today. The U.S. Army and contractors were not willing to pay a premium for lightweight.

While schools, technical societies, and progressive companies like Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI) are educating engineers and others about titanium, ATI is working on innovative solutions to address cost issues.





Patented Class 4 Titanium Armor

A titanium alloy, invented and patented by ATI, may provide the answer to concerns revolving around the price of titanium for armor and related applications. On November 9, 1999, the corporation was awarded US Patent 5,980,655 for “titanium alloys, comprising aluminum, vanadium, iron, and a relative high oxygen content, and products made using such alloys, including ballistic armor”. The alloys take advantage of open chemistry ranges of the Class 4 MIL-DTL-46077 specification for these elements and the extended level for oxygen, enabling a wider range of raw material input... and cost reduction.

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory, at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland (ARL-APG) tested ATI’s Class 4 Titanium alloy plates, using a 20mm fragment-simulating projectile fired from a rifled Mann barrel and varying the striking velocity. ATI‘s 16mm-thick plate stopped a penetrator traveling at 620-670 ft/sec, performing as well as the army‘s standard plate against a penetrator traveling at 586 ft/sec.

No cracks were observed following ballistic tests on plates made from several of the different alloys tested. The V50 values (velocity of a projectile that gives a 50% chance of partial or complete penetration) for the plates made from ATI‘s new alloys proved to be significantly higher than those reported for the standard Ti-6Al-4V alloy. However, it was also found that armor plates having oxygen contents greater than 0.3% (as was the case with two of the alloys tested) may have reasonably high V50 values, but can develop severe cracks that make them questionable for use in armor applications.

Despite strong interest from the armor community, it was determined that more testing and fabrication information were required before bringing the product to market. Two pieces of this puzzle included the product‘s ballistic performance against armor piercing rounds and procedures for welding the new titanium alloy.

Concurrent Technologies (CTC) of Johnstown, Pennsylvania tested Class 4 Titanium, produced using standard processing methods, in April 2002. All samples passed ballistic requirements for a larger range of threats: 30 cal. APM2, 50 cal. FSP, 20mm FSP, 50 cal. APM2, 20mm (850 Gm) FSP, and 14.5mm BS32.

Additional plates from other Class 4 Titanium ingots are scheduled for testing this summer, and results will be discussed in future issues of Outlook. In addition, ATI is launching a parallel program with the Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to test the affect of various process routings on ballistic performance, including upset forging, annealing temperatures, rolling direction, and various melting techniques.

Wah Chang is using its in-house expertise to answer questions about welding Class 4 Titanium. The company produces both zirconium and titanium alloys used in the chemical processing industry, where on-site and field welding are commonplace. Tests and evaluation of MIG, TIG and EB welding techniques on armor plate are currently underway to see if any issues exist due to the higher oxygen content (0.21% - 0.25%). Analyses are expected to be complete in July 2002.




Figure 1. Cost Breakdown of a typical vehicle. Jet Propultion Laboratory Data from Advanced Materials Technology Development Project.


Class 4 and Other Alloy Applications

There are many potential uses for ATI’s Class 4 Titanium. These alloys can be fashioned to meet the requirements of a variety of applications, including structural devices. As mentioned earlier, Class 4 Titanium alloys are particularly useful for forming ballistic armor plates. Additionally, they may be more economical to produce than traditional titanium armor products (less stringent oxygen requirements allow a higher percentage of recycle to be used in the mix), opening the door to new possibilities for current and future customers.

The cost of Class 4 Titanium will still be greater than steel or aluminum; however, when considering the total vehicle cost breakdown, it is much less of a factor. Figure 2 shows that the cost for the fabricated steel hull, turret, and suspension system of a typical armored vehicle is only 23% of the total vehicle cost but is 70% of the vehicle weight. Less than 20% of the fabrication costs are for material.

Titanium applications are not restricted to armor or structures. Titanium components have been used on systems such as the lightweight 155mm howitzer to help reduce the total weight from 16,000 lb. to approximately 9,000 lb.

Both track and wheeled vehicle suspension systems can benefit from titanium components, such as hydromatic suspension systems springs, struts, shocks, wheels, shafts, tie rods, and track. Other attractive applications may include troop gear, troop support systems, bridging, body armor, helmets, mine blast kits, tools, tow bars, and winches.

The bottom line is that future vehicles almost certainly will incorporate advanced and expensive technology. With this in mind, the higher cost of lightweight materials may become a very small factor. The benefit of reducing weight for air transportation and improved life cycle cost alone could offset increased material cost. With this in mind, engineers and other materials specifiers would do well to consider Class 4 as well as other lightweight titanium products when designing transportable vehicles and ancillary combat equipment.


Information

For more information on Allegheny Technologies‘ Grade 4 Titanium products for armor and other defense-related applications, contact Mr. Larry Martin at 541.924.6896 or by e-mail at larry.martin@wahchang.com. For more general information about Allegheny Technologies suite of high performance metals and associated sales contacts, check out the company‘s web site at www.alleghenytechnologies.com.

Friction Stir Welding

By: Joseph R. Pickens, Kevin Colligan & James J. Fisher Jr. — CTC

NFriction Stir Welding (FSW) is a revolutionary, environmentally friendly, solid-state welding technology developed by The Welding Institute (TWI) in the UK. In FSW, the materials to be joined are clamped together and a rotating pin tool is plunged into the joint line and traversed along the joint. Heat generated from the rotating pin, as well as from the tool shoulder rubbing on the top of the materials to be joined, softens the metal so that it flows plastically and creates a welded joint. FSW has numerous advantages over conventional fusion welding. These advantages include: superior strength and ductility, significant reduction in residual stresses, elimination of filler wire, greatly simplified weld preparation procedures, and reduced environmental health and safety (EH&S) concerns. In addition, alloys that are “non-weldable” by fusion welding techniques can now be friction stir welded.

In less than a decade from its invention by Welshman Wayne Thomas, FSW has transitioned into several sectors based on its ability to reduce production costs and to enable more durable structures to be fabricated. For example, aluminum alloy ferryboat deck structures in Scandinavia are in serial production using FSW. In addition, Japanese bullet train cabins are fabricated using FSW of Al-Mg-Si alloys. The Delta II and Delta IV launch systems are now made using FSW for flight critical welds in Al-Cu alloys leading to tremendous cost reductions because of the superior weldment properties and great reduction in weld inspection costs. NASA is in the process of switching to FSW for flight-critical welds on aluminum lithium alloy 2195 for the Space Shuttle External Tank. The qualification should be completed in 2003 with first flight planned for early 2005. General Electric is in the process of qualifying titanium alloy FS weldments for structures in jet engines—a very demanding application.

Despite this amazing progress in the commercial and space sectors, the Department of Defense (DoD) has been a bit slow to embrace the benefits of FSW, particularly for military ground vehicles—but this is changing. Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) is a non-profit technology transfer center that operates several centers of excellence for the DoD, including the US Navy‘s National Center for Excellence in Metalworking Technology (NCEMT). Through the NCEMT and the Tank-Automotive Research, Development & Engineering Center (TARDEC)1, CTC has been effecting the technology transfer of FSW to combat vehicles. For example, the Marines’ Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV) uses Al-Cu-Mg alloy 2519 as its main structural alloy. Although the alloy is strong and has good ballistic properties, it has poor ballistic toughness in butt welds made by conventional fusion welding. This caused the manufacturer to eliminate butt welds from the design and baseline welded corner joints to improve ballistic shock resistance by having mechanical plate-on-plate support. This solution is successful, but complicates vehicle fabrication.




Figure 1. The 2519 AAAV Floor Mine Blast Test Article Contructed Using FSW.


The authors proposed FSW as an alternative and showed that 2519 is indeed FS-weldable with weldment tensile strength 47% higher than the minimum weld strength obtained by gas metal arc welding (see Table 1). Weldment ductility increased by more than a factor of three and the welds passed the demanding ballistic shock impact test at significantly higher velocities than the Mil Spec—a test never passed by conventional gas metal arc (GMA) weldments of 2519. As a result of this work, the AAAV Program team is considering FSW to simplify vehicle manufacture and to reduce costs. CTC fabricated a full-scale 2519 AAAV one-third floor structure using FSW, which will be mine-blast tested (Figure 1).

CTC has had similar successes with ubiquitous Al-Mg armor alloy 5083-H131 and high-strength Al-Cu-Li alloy 2195, the main structural alloy for the External Tank of the Space Shuttle (see typical FSW properties in Table 2). CTC fabricated a major 2195 FSW structure for a concept combat vehicle for a proprietary client that will be ride and drive tested this summer. This structure was made on the R&D-scale FSW machine at CTC‘s Johnstown PA facility (Figure 2). Under TARDEC sponsorship, CTC designed and fabricated a production-scale FSW machine with eight powered axes that is capable of welding a full-scale combat vehicle (see Figure 3). This facility will become operational in June 2002 and is available to DoD contractors and materials suppliers.




Figure 2. CTC’s Research and Development FSW System.




Figure 3. CTC’s Production-Scale FSW Facility.


Wah Chang and CTC have teamed to help get low-cost titanium alloys on combat vehicles and CTC has orchestrated ballistic assessments of Class III and IV armor plate made by Wah Chang and its sister companies Allvac and Allegheny Ludlum. Under TARDEC sponsorship, CTC has recently embarked on a project to develop FSW parameters for Ti alloys using the innovative tool geometries designed by one of the authors (K. J. Colligan). Wah Chang has offered to contribute to this effort by advising on refractory alloys for FSW tools and to supply titanium plate. As the strategic relationship between Wah Chang and CTC continues to grow, it may not be long before the two companies combine their expertise and develop FSW technology for zirconium alloys to support the nuclear industry.

For more information contact Larry Martin of Wah Chang at 541.924.6896 or Joe Pickens of CTC at 410.489.9696.








References

1. J. R. Pickens and K. J. Colligan, “Friction Stir Welding of Aluminum Armor Plate”, Proceedings of Tech Trends 2002 Conference, Baltimore, MD, April 3-4, 2002.

Processing and Properties of Allvac®
38-644 Alloy for Titanium Suspension Springs

By: Brian J. Marquardt, J.R. Wood & Brian G. Drummond — Allvac

The metastable beta titanium Allvac® 38-644 Alloy (Ti-38-644) has a long history of use for aerospace springs and fasteners. A vast range of mechanical properties is attainable for this alloy by manipulating the processing plan and adjusting subsequent thermal treatment. Ti-38-644 aerospace parts are typically processed in accordance with AMS 4958 for solution treated parts and AMS 4957 for cold drawn parts. An ongoing project at Allvac, an Allegheny Technologies Company, has recently focused on adjusting the processing and thermal treatment of Ti-38-644 from the AMS procedures to improve its viability and cost for higher volume markets. Particular attention has been given to cold drawing procedures and subsequent thermal treatments of 30 minutes or more. The cold working process may enable much shorter aging times than currently specified by AMS. One of the springs produced during the course of this project is shown in Figure 1.




Figure 1. Titanium Automotive Suspension Spring Produced from Cold Drawn Ti-38-644.


Metastable beta titanium alloys offer corrosion resistance, high strength and low elastic modulii thus making them excellent candidates for spring applications. In addition, the low density of these alloys makes them uniquely suited for weight reduction purposes. Companies such as Boeing, Lockheed and McDonald Douglas first started producing springs from Ti-38-644 in the late 1970s for aerospace applications1. Almost simultaneously, Ford initiated a project to study the use of Ti-38-644 for automotive suspension springs. The Ford study projected a 60% weight reduction associated with the transition from steel to titanium springs2.

Substantial opportunities for the cost reduction of beta titanium alloys for high volume applications lie in the areas of manufacturing and processing improvements. Some of these opportunities have been realized since the late 1970s when Ford conducted the initial study of Ti-38-644 for automotive suspension springs. In-line rotary forge (GFM) capability is now available at Allvac‘s high volume rolling mill3. The billet and subsequent coil weight which can be produced on Allvac‘c rolling mill is approximately three to four times larger than for current competitive producers. Other cost reduction procedures are in progress and still more are currently attainable as soon as the end users transition from sample orders to production size material orders. Larger ingots can be melted in sequence when volume demands. Allvac‘s high volume processing capability will allow for less set-up time, more efficient use of manpower and higher yields. In addition, the cold drawn product form, which is the focus of the investigation, reported herein, results in a more perfectly round bar or coil thus reducing finish conditioning and directly increasing yields.

The potential for cost reduction also exists at the spring manufacturing facilities. The Ti-38-644 material is shipped to the spring producers in a low strength condition for winding. After winding, the springs are aged to produce the high strength condition. The aging time that is required for solution treated and aged Ti-38-644 as verified by the Time-Temperature-Transformation diagram4 is typically greater than 12 hours. Specifically, AMS 4958 requires an aging time in the range of 6 to 20 hours. By cold drawing the material, nucleation of a second phase (HCP alpha) is aided during the aging process and aging times are reduced. AMS 4957, for cold drawn products, requires an aging time of 6 to 12 hours. The focus of this investigation was to explore the lower limits of aging time as a function of percent cold work and aging temperature. The successful implementation of shorter aging times could have the dual cost benefit of being less disruptive to the manufacturing cycle and allowing for the potential elimination of the post-process pickling procedure. Allvac successfully developed a new process and filed patent applications.


Materials and Processing

Billet material measuring 100 mm in diameter was used to process a hot rolled coil with a final diameter of 14.3 mm. The microstructure of the billet was a coarse, single-phase structure (BCC beta) made up of near equiaxed grains measuring approximately 0.75 mm. At the completion of the hot rolling process, dynamic recrystallization was achieved in the 14.3 mm coil product. Therefore, the as-rolled microstructure was equiaxed with a fine grain size of approximately 20 mm. Separate sections of this material were subsequently cold drawn to diameters of 13.7, 13.2, 12.8 and 12.4 mm which correspond to reduction of area values of 8, 15, 20 and 25%, respectively.

Each of the cold worked material conditions was subjected to a matrix of aging times and temperatures. The aging times were evaluated over the range of 30 to 440 minutes and the aging temperatures were 482, 510 and 538ºC. After aging, a very fine and uniformly distributed alpha precipitate is formed in the cold worked material. The size and distribution of the alpha precipitates is influenced both by the level of cold work and the aging temperature. Without cold work, the precipitates are relatively large and unevenly distributed. With increasing levels of cold work, the precipitate size is reduced and the distribution becomes homogeneous. Over the temperature range of 482 to 538ºC, the precipitate size increases with increasing temperature.


Results and Discussion

The tensile data for the various combinations of cold work, aging times and aging temperatures were collected. The ultimate strength and ductility values for the 510ºC aging temperature are presented graphically as a function of aging time in Figures 2 and 3, respectively.




Figure 2. Ultimate Tensile Strength of Cold Drawn Ti-38-644 as a Function of Percent Cold Work and Aging Time at 510ºC.




Figure 3. Ductility of Cold Worked Ti-38-644 as a Function of Percent Cold Work and Aging Time at 510ºC.


The ultimate tensile strength of the various cold worked material conditions increases rapidly during the first 60 minutes of aging time at 510ºC as shown graphically in Figure 2. Beyond 60 minutes of aging time, strength levels increase only slightly and reach a plateau. This strengthening is associated with the formation of very fine alpha precipitates. While the ultimate tensile strength is increasing with aging time, the ductility decreases with aging time from 60% reduction of area for the as-drawn condition to a more moderate level near 35 to 40% reduction of area for the fully aged condition. This inverse relationship between reduction of area and aging time is shown graphically in Figure 3.

The direct relationship between increased aging time and increased ultimate tensile strength generally holds true for each of the levels of cold work. One distinction that can be made for the differing levels of cold work is that higher strengths are achieved by increasing the amount of cold work. In addition, the ultimate tensile strength appears to plateau at slightly shorter aging times when the amount of cold work is increased. It is thought that these interrelationships between cold work, ultimate tensile strength and aging time are associated with the inherent deformation structure, its influence on the ease of nucleating second phase particles and the resultant size and distribution of those particles.

With higher levels of cold work and lower aging temperatures, ultimate tensile strengths above 1400 MPa are easily achieved for cold worked and aged Ti-38-644. Clearly, the most stringent strength requirement of 1310 MPa as set forth by AMS 4957 can be met in less than 60 minutes of aging time. As the level of cold work is steadily increased beyond the values reported in this study, strengths can approach 1700 MPa5. Conversely, the ultimate tensile strength of solution treated and aged material is often below 1300 MPa even after very long aging times. The AMS 4958 strength requirement for solution treated material is thus appropriately set at a more modest level of 1240 MPa.

The availability of effective short aging cycles for cold worked and aged Ti-38-644 offers readily apparent cost reduction potential for spring producers. With a short aging time, springs can be aged in-line with the rest of the production process rather than disrupting the manufacturing process by removing the springs for long aging cycles. In addition, as the aging time is shortened and the aging temperature is reduced, minimal oxide and/or alpha case is formed on the surface of the spring. As this surface layer is reduced, standard shot peening procedures are likely to eliminate its deleterious effect on fatigue life. Therefore, the typical pickling process, which is required for removal of the surface layer after long term aging treatments, could potentially be eliminated without the use of vacuum heat treating equipment.

The implementation of cost effective processing equipment, such as Allvac‘s high volume rolling mill, and the identification of cost saving processes, such as reduced aging times; represent significant steps toward the realization of more cost competitive large volume use of titanium. Further studies are in progress for continued identification of process improvements that offer improved properties, such as grain size refinement, and/or cost reduction. One such project involves the rolling of larger billet sizes (125 to 140 mm), which is expected to be particularly useful in achieving smaller grain sizes in the larger diameter product forms. As process improvements are implemented, additional studies will focus on their influence on fatigue properties and actual spring and torsion bar production.

Allvac is a registered trademark of ATI Properties, Inc.


References

1) R.R. Boyer, R. Bajoraitis, D.W. Greenwood and E.E. Mild, “Ti-3Al-8V-6Cr-4Mo-4Zr Wire for Spring Applications”, Beta Titanium Alloys in the 1980‘s, eds RR Boyer and HW Rosenberg, (1984) pp. 295-305.

2) A.M. Sherman and S.R. Seagle, “Tortional Properties and Performance of Beta Titanium Alloy Automotive Suspension Springs”, Beta Titanium Alloys in the 1980‘s, eds RR Boyer and HW Rosenberg, (1984) pp. 281-293.

3) R. Brooks, “State-of-the-Art becomes a Science, Teledyne Allvac‘s bar and rod mill is changing notions of what a rolling operation can accomplish.”, Metal Producing, January 1992.

4) T.J. Headley and H.J. Rack, “Phase Transformations in Ti-3Al-8V-6Cr-4Zr-4Mo”, Metallurgical Transactions A, Vol. 10A, July 1979, pp. 909-920.

5) B.J. Marquardt, Allvac unpublished research, 2001.
Patent pending.


Contact

Brian Marquardt earned his BS in Metallurgical Engineering at Iowa State University in 1982 and an MS in Material Science and Engineering at Vanderbilt University in 1984. He is currently Senior Metallurgical Engineer, Titanium R&D at Allvac, an Allegheny Technologies Company. For technical information: brian.marquardt@allvac.com or www.allvac.com. For sales information: brian.drummond@allvac.com.

Q & A

Titanium Armor Castings

By: Mike Wilcox

MMike Wilcox submitted the Q&A column for this special edition issue of Outlook. Mr. Wilcox served as Operations Manager for Commercial Titanium Castings, Inc., an investment casting foundry, prior to joining the Wah Chang team in March of 2000. Since June of 2000, he has been a key member of the company's rammed graphite sales team. Mr. Wilcox is asked many things about casting titanium, zirconium, and other metals, but says that three questions pop up most often. This Q&A column addresses these questions and provides some guidance for those considering applying castings to solve weight, strength, and other important issues in the design of armored vehicles (and related applications).

Questions:

• When would a casting be a better design choice then a forging or fabrication?
• When should a rammed graphite casting be used?
• When should an investment casting be used?
Note: The answers below are intended to provide a starting place for designers. Please use the contact information at the bottom of the article for more detailed, application-specific information.

Answers:

The casting versus forging issue has been a subject of debate for some time. When the design of the part goes beyond a simple shape, a casting may quickly become a more economical choice than a forged piece. In most cases a titanium casting can be used in place of a forged part without compromising the mechanical requirements for the part as long as the casting has gone through the HIP process.

HIP is the commonly used term for Hot Isostatic Pressing. This process subjects the casting to high heat and high pressure over time in an inert gas atmosphere. For titanium the temperature is from 1550ºF to 1750ºF at 14,500 PSI maximum for at least 2 hours. The pressure is uniform in all directions. HIP collapses and bonds the internal voids that are inherent in the casting process.

The HIP process greatly improves the mechanical properties of the casting. The tensile and yield properties are equal to a forged product. The elongation and reduction of area may be slightly less in a casting than in a forged part. The fatigue properties of castings that have gone through HIP are generally higher than forged parts. The mechanical properties in a casting are distributed equally in all directions due to the unidirectional grain structure of a cast part. A forging will have higher strength in one direction than another due to its directional grain structure. If the application goes beyond the requirement of a simple shape or if tooling costs and lead-time issues are factors, a casting should be a serious consideration.

The use of castings to replace fabrications is a more obvious choice. One casting can replace complex fabrications in many instances and greatly reduce labor cost, yield loss and lead-time. A casting will also be very stable dimensionally from one to another eliminating complex set up, fixturing and inspections required for weld fabrication. It is not uncommon to replace 10 to 15 fabricated components with one casting.





The choice of rammed graphite (sand-type) casting or investment casting has proved confusing to design engineers. It is a misconception to believe that rammed graphite casting is only good for large, simple shape requirements and that investment casting is only for small intricate parts. Rammed graphite casting can be used to cast complex components. The limiting factor is often wall thickness that is too thin or part shapes that do not allow access for ramming the mold or mold removal after casting. Access limitations can also effect the investment casting shell process as well. When wall thickness approaches 0.25 in. or less with the rammed graphite casting process, the metal may not remain fluid long enough to completely fill the mold due to the heat absorption of the graphite. Investment castings can be used with wall thickness down to the 0.040-in. range depending on how far the metal has to flow. The investment casting process can be used to produce castings well over 100 lb. and in very complex shapes (rammed graphite over 1000 lb.).

There is considerable overlap when either process can produce castings meeting design requirements. In these cases, tooling and lead-time considerations may take precedent. Production tooling for rammed graphite casting is less expensive in most cases and tooling lead-time shorter. Casting lead-time is about the same. Investment castings are traditionally more expensive than rammed graphite castings.

In conclusion, we recommend that design engineers contact casting manufacturers as early in the design process as possible. By working together, the engineers and the foundry can determine early on if castings can offer an advantage over wrought product and, if so, which casting process will be most cost effective for the application. In addition, the foundry can help design the part to take full advantage of the casting process.

For more information on castings or to discuss a potential application, contact Customer Service by phone at 541.967.6977 or by fax at 541.967.6994.

E V E N T S

CALL FOR PAPERS: Advanced Materials For Defense Symposium

October 2003 — Destin, Florida

Wah Chang, host of the successful Corrosion Solutions Conference and Seminar Series, is planning its first annual Advanced Materials for Defense Symposium. The meeting is slated for October 2003 at the Sandestin Resort in Destin, Florida.

The mission of this brand new event is to provide government, industry, and other attendees with the latest information on a variety of materials, including specialty steels, titanium, and other alloys, for armor and related applications.





We are currently accepting abstracts for the program, which should include the author's name and organization, presentation title, and one-page maximum summary. These short summaries should fit within the following session topics:

1) Material Advancements:
a. Armor Plate b. Castings c. Structural Components d. Other

2) Materials Testing Issues (Ballistics, Corrosion, Mechanical etc.)

3) Fabrication Techniques (Welding, Forming, Safety, etc.)

Selected presenters will receive free registration for the meeting and conference events (a $295 value). Speaker slots (30 minutes each) are limited, so please submit your abstracts to kirk.richardson@wahchang.com as soon as possible. For more information, contact Mr. Richardson at 541.967.6955.

Welding Seminar

LYNN DAVIS
President

PARRY WALBORN
Vice President — Commercial

GARY KNEISEL
Director of Sales

ANDY NICHOLS
Director of Marketing

KIRK RICHARDSON
Editor

©2002 Wah Chang. Outlook is published quarterly by Wah Chang (Albany, Oregon office). The newsletter contains information on reactive and refractory metals, including hafnium, niobium, titanium, vanadium, and zirconium, as well as chemicals. The properties listed herein are average values based on laboratory and field test data from a number of sources. They are indicative only of the results obtained in such tests and should not be considered as guaranteed maximums or minimums.


Information & Order Contacts

Wah Chang
(headquarters)
P.O Box 460
Albany, Oregon 97321
T 541.926.4211
F 541.967.6990
www.wahchang.com
www.corrosionsolutions.com

Sales/Tech Support
T 541.967.6977
F 541.967.6994
custserv@wahchang.com

CPI Service Center — US
T 541.917.6739
F 541.924.6882
ellen.baumgartner@wahchang.com

Armor Products
T 541.924.6869

Ti, V, and Nb Products
T 541.967.6977

Allvac
PO Box 5030
Monroe North Carolina 28111-5030
T 704.289.4511
www.allvac.com

Allegheny Ludlum
500 Six PPG Place
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 15222
T 800.258.3586
www.alleghenyludlum.com