Request for Information on PM-HIP Modeling Tools

NNL is issuing this request for information to identify sources capable of providing or developing a software analysis tool to predict the final shape of components formed by the powder-metallurgy hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process. Accurate final shape prediction will be used to facilitate HIP canister design and production of near-net shape components. The tool can either be a standalone software package or else make use of existing commercially available software (for example, a user-defined material subroutine for Abaqus or Ansys). Desired capabilities include: • Evaluate arbitrary / complex geometric canister shapes • Evaluate arbitrary distributions of powder density within a canister, within the range typically associated with the HIP process (e.g., ~55% to 100% relative density) • Evaluate multiple powder metal alloys for which appropriate material data is provided. • Capture both time-independent plasticity and creep effects • Either include or support the use of optimization software to establish a canister design based on iterative analyses Because the relative density of powder in a canister is important to predicting the final shape, the ideal analysis tool would also be capable of predicting the relative density distribution in a canister given details about the canister filling process (powder properties, fill stem locations, vibration etc.). However, it is recognized that this is a separate physical problem and will likely require a separate software package to solve. Keywords: PM-HIP, Powder Metallurgy, Hot Isostatic Pressing, Software, Canister, Modeling, Near Net Shape, Densification, Finite Element Analysis