Rapid discharge forming process for amorphous metal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539628-B2
Application number	US-201213652169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2012
Priority date	Mar 23, 2009
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate processes for bulk solidifying amorphous metal alloys by rapid capacitor discharge.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
placing an electrode on or near a surface of a workpiece comprising a bulk solidifying amorphous alloy;
causing rapid discharge of current though the workpiece, via the electrode, to locally heat a portion of the workpiece; and
imprinting a macroscopic texture or logo on the portion of the workpiece.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the operation of imprinting comprises using an indenter to imprint the texture or the logo on the locally heated portion of the workpiece; and the electrode comprises the indenter.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrode comprises a feature corresponding to the texture or the logo; and
the operation of imprinting comprises causing the electrode and the workpiece to contact each other, thereby imprinting the texture or the logo on the portion of the workpiece.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises:
placing a protrusion of the workpiece through an opening in an object;
placing the electrode on or near the protrusion;
rapidly discharging current through the workpiece to locally heat the protrusion; and
deforming the protrusion to form a mechanical interlock joining the object to the workpiece.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the operation of causing the electrode and the workpiece to contact each other comprises causing the electrode and the workpiece to contact each other with an imprinting force prior to causing the rapid discharge of current through the workpiece.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the operation of rapidly discharging current through the workpiece comprises creating a higher current density through the protrusion as compared to an area adjacent the protrusion.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
placing a cutting tool on or near a cutting region of the workpiece;
rapidly discharging current through the workpiece, via the cutting tool, to locally heat the cutting region; and
cutting the workpiece at the cutting region with the cutting tool.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the operation of rapidly discharging current through the workpiece comprises rapidly discharging current from a tip of the cutting tool such that the cutting region is heated to above a glass transition temperature of the bulk solidifying amorphous alloy, thereby reducing a viscosity of the bulk solidifying amorphous alloy at the cutting region.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imprinting is done by a forging device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the forging device comprises a punch.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the texture comprises a nano- or a micro-scale pattern.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coating at least a portion of the workpiece, wherein the coating comprises a protective coating.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of imprinting comprises passing the workpiece between rollers comprising a feature corresponding to the texture or the logo, thereby forming the texture or the logo on the workpiece.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the rollers operates as the electrode.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Poole Joseph C
• Prest Christopher D

Classifications

• B21K25/00

  Uniting components to form integral members, e.g. turbine wheels and shafts, caulks with inserts, with or without shaping of the components (uniting by interference- or press-fitting B23P11/02, B21K19/02) · CPC title

• C23C22/78

  Pretreatment of the material to be coated · CPC title

• B21B1/227

  Surface roughening or texturing · CPC title

• B21B15/005

  Lubricating, cooling or heating means · CPC title

• C23C8/24

  Nitriding · CPC title