Recently, to continuously enhance Tongyu Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “the company”) core competitiveness in the research and development of materials and process optimization for high-end equipment core components, the Forging Research Institute invited Mr. Zhou Lei, a senior application expert of Gleeble equipment, to the company to conduct a five-day advanced technical training on the Gleeble thermal simulation testing machine. Researchers from the materials R&D department and the forging product development department participated in this training activity.
As a global leader in thermal simulation testing equipment, the Gleeble testing machine can replicate the complex thermal-mechanical coupling processes that materials undergo during melting, forging, heat treatment, and welding, serving as a critical bridge between fundamental material research and industrial production. Mastering and deeply applying thermal simulation technology is of strategic significance for achieving precise process control in the field of large forgings and enhancing product performance consistency.
This training aimed to achieve a leap from basic operations to in-depth principles, and then to practical applications, covering seven core modules: basic equipment usage, thermal tensile testing, static CCT experiments, dynamic CCT experiments, thermal compression experiments, welding thermal simulation, and equipment operation management and daily maintenance. After the theoretical explanations of each module, researchers conducted full-process practical exercises from program writing, sample installation to data collection and result analysis, and engaged in lively discussions with experts on common technical difficulties encountered during experiments.
To excel in their work, one must first sharpen their tools. Introducing the Gleeble thermal simulation testing machine is an important step in the company’s strategic layout, but cultivating a team of engineers who can skillfully operate this equipment is fundamental to transforming the equipment’s potential into a technical advantage. This training not only enhanced the team’s technical capabilities but also marked a deep transformation of the Forging Research Institute from an “experience-driven” approach to a “data and model-driven” approach in the field of material research.
In the future, the Forging Research Institute will continue to apply what has been learned in practical production, injecting strong momentum into the technical breakthroughs and new product development of the company’s major projects.
Contributed by: Forging Research Institute, Yin Xue
Edited by: Zhang Manman
Reviewed by: Hei Junting, Cheng Wenwen, Wang Ke