Rolling Technology And Processes Of Gr5 Titanium Plates

As one of the most widely used titanium alloys, the maturity of Gr5 titanium plate's rolling technology and processes directly determines product quality and application efficiency.

 

 

"Gr" is the short form of "Grade", representing the grade of titanium and titanium alloys in the international standard. Gr5 titanium alloys contains titanium (Ti), 6% aluminum (Al), and 4% vanadium (V), It is known as the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy.

 

The main advantage of Gr5 titanium plates is the "perfect balance between strength and toughness",Compared with pure titanium and other titanium alloy grades. The excellent corrosion resistance and structural lightweight of titanium alloys make it the preferred material for manufacturing airframe structures and engine components in the aerospace field, as well as artificial joints and orthopedic implants in the medical device.

 

 

 

Titanium & Titanium Alloys

 

 

 

Production Process for Titanium Plates

 

 

1.Selection of Raw Materials

First, Ti-6Al-4V ingots that meet compositional standards must be selected. The ingots are forged into plates of uniform thickness through forging processes to eliminate internal defects such as porosity and segregation and refine grains.The plates undergo surface treatment, where oxide scales, cracks, and oil stains on the surface are removed by mechanical grinding or chemical pickling.

 

2.Heating in a Specific Temperature

Gr5 titanium alloy has a narrow hot working temperature range. Plates are usually heated to the β-phase region (about 995℃-1050℃) or the α+β two-phase region (about 800℃-950℃). The specific temperature is adjusted according to the rolling pass, plate thickness, and performance requirements.

 

3.Hot Rolling and Cold Rolling

Hot rolling is reducing the thickness of the plate and refining the grain structure. During hot rolling, the rolling speed, reduction amount, and rolling temperature must be controlled. Cold rolling is used to further improve the plate's dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and strength performance. Work hardening occurs during cold rolling, so intermediate annealing must be arranged as needed to eliminate internal stress and restore plasticity. The reduction amount, rolling speed, and roll gap accuracy of cold rolling must be precisely controlled to ensure the plate's thickness deviation is within ±0.05mm and the flatness meets high-end application requirements.

 

Hot Rolling for Gr5 Titanium Plates

 

4.Heat treatment

Different heat treatment processes such as annealing and solution aging can be adopted. For example, Gr5 titanium plates used in aerospace structural components usually adopt the "β-phase region quenching + aging" process to improve material strength by refining precipitated phases. Plates used in medical devices mostly use the "recrystallization annealing" process to enhance toughness and corrosion resistance while ensuring a certain level of strength.

 

5.Finishing Process

The finishing process includes leveling, shearing, and surface polishing. Leveling eliminates warpage deformation of the plate, precise shearing obtains finished products that meet dimensional requirements, and surface polishing further improves the plate's surface finish. The inspection process refers to chemical composition analysis, mechanical testing, metallographic detection, dimensional accuracy measurement, and surface detection. All indicators must comply with relevant standards such as ASTM B265, ASTM F136, and ASTM F67. Unqualified products need to be reworked or scrapped.

 

ASTM B265 Gr5 Titanium Plates in Stock

 

 

1. Intelligent Temperature Control

The microstructural transformation law of Gr5 titanium alloy in different temperature ranges is complex. During rolling, an infrared thermometer is used to real-time monitor the plate's surface temperature. Combined with the intelligent temperature control system of the heating furnace, the temperature fluctuation of each rolling pass is controlled within ±5℃, avoiding uneven grain size caused by temperature fluctuations.

 

2. Intelligent Algorithms and Online Flatness Detection

Today, by installing pressure sensors, displacement sensors, and laser thickness gauges on the rolling mill, a closed-loop control system is built to real-time collect data such as pressure, roll gap, and plate thickness during rolling. Intelligent algorithms automatically adjust the roll gap size and rolling speed, enabling the plate's thickness tolerance to be stably controlled within 0.03mm. Online flatness detection equipment is used to timely detect plate warpage defects and feed them back to the leveling process, ensuring the flatness error of the finished plate does not exceed 0.2mm/m.

 

3."Full-Process Protection + Refined Surface Treatment" technology.

During heating and hot rolling, a fully sealed inert gas protection device is adopted to prevent plate oxidation. During cold rolling, special rolling oil is used for lubrication and cooling to reduce friction and scratches between the roll and the plate surface.

 

 

Composite rolling technology synchronously rolls Gr5 titanium plates with materials such as stainless steel and aluminum alloy to prepare composite plates with the advantages of different materials, expanding their application scenarios in marine engineering, chemical equipment, and other fields."Digital twin technology" and "artificial intelligence optimization" will realize full-process intelligence of the rolling process. "Energy-saving rolling technology" and "environmentally friendly treatment processes" will gradually replace traditional high-energy-consuming and high-pollution processes. "Precision performance regulation technology" will meet the personalized needs of different fields.

 

Ruihang, specialized in manufacturing titanium round bars, we welcome your inquiries at: Sam.Rui@bjrh-titanium.com