Superplastic forming of stainless steel automotive components
- Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- AC Delco Systems World Headquarters, Flint, MI (United States). USCAR Low Emissions Technology Research and Development Partnership
Exhaust emission standards are governmentally controlled standards, which are increasingly stringent, forcing alternate strategies to meet these standards. One approach to improve the efficiency of the exhaust emission equipment is to decrease the time required to get the catalytic converter to optimum operating temperature. To accomplish this, automotive manufacturers are using double wall stainless steel exhaust manifolds to reduce heat loss of the exhaust gases to the converter. The current method to manufacture double wall stainless steel exhaust components is to use a low-cost alloy with good forming properties and extensively form, cut, assemble, and weld the pieces. Superplastic forming (SPF) technology along with alloy improvements has potential at making this process more cost effective. Lockheed Martin Energy Systems (LMES), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and USCAR Low Emission Partnership (LEP) worked under a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) to evaluate material properties, SPF behavior, and welding behavior of duplex stainless steel alloy for automotive component manufacturing. Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has a separate CRADA with the LEP to use SPF technology to manufacture a double wall stainless steel exhaust component. As a team these CRADAs developed and demonstrated a technical plan to accomplish making double wall stainless steel exhaust manifolds.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 658226
- Report Number(s):
- Y/AMT-459; R&D Project: 94-MULT-905-ES-4; ON: DE98052946; CRN: C/Y-12--94-0293; TRN: AHC2DT06%%110
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 6 Feb 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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