Computer-aided manufacturing for mass production of non-conventional shapes made of the alloying of a heterogeneous composite metallic glass matrix with nano-meter-sized elements

Abstract

The pursuit of radically improving the strength and stiffness of materials while maintaining satisfactory level of ductility for formability has been on for decades. A patent has laid in 2005 the foundation for alloying a metallic matrix, such as steel matrix, with nano-meter-sized elements while exploiting amorphous cross-linking of the matrix. This patented innovation is expected to trigger the third industrial revolution based on mass production of the alloying of a metallic matrix, such as steel matrix, with nano-meter-sized elements in order to produce bulk metallic glasses. The first industrial revolution had been triggered by the mass production of steel in about 1840 and the second industrial revolution was triggered by the mass production of the synthetic polymeric materials and composites in about 1960. This article presents an approach of computer-aided manufacturing based on this patent for the mass production of an E-like-shaped spring made of the alloying of heterogeneous composite ferromagnetic metallic glass matrix with nano-meter-sized elements. The proposed heterogeneous nanocomposite metallic glass alloy exhibits features that are promising in applications such as vehicle suspension springs.