Temper's Next Generation Technologies
Rapid Processing of Materials Using Magnetic Fields
Smart Susceptors
What is Smart Susceptor Technology?
Thermosets
Debulking Blankets
Thermoplastics
Thermoplastic Welding
Induction Metals Processing
Stamp Mold Quench
Mag-Forming
Titanium Densification using Thermal Cycling
Hot Metal Gas Forming
Our Development Process
Temper is an acronym, which stands for "Thermally Enhanced Magnetic / Material Processing at Elevated Rates". As such we perform research activities that use magnetic fields to elicit behavior in tooling or materials to provide work.
Example’s include:
4-minute Thermoplastic Processing.
Imagine just being able to only heat the mass of a mold that is in contact with the part to be processed. The mass to be heated or cooled would be cut by 95%. This is accomplished by inductively heating a tooling surface of a mold shell that conductivity heats thermoplastic materials in less than a minute, consolidation step, and then air quench. Time for processing, less than 4 minutes vs hours for conventional processing techniques. The technology that makes this happen is the smart susceptor technology.
Magnetic densification of titanium or titanium aluminide powders in 40 minutes
Temper Inc. has developed a single-step magnetic densification process that utilizes powder created for the additive manufacturing industry that is of unsuitable size for use by a 3D printer. The otherwise “waste” powder can be purchased at a discount and densified in a near-net-shape mold, saving on machining time and raw material or the process can utilize titanium sponge. Currently the densification process is complete in 40 minutes with a target time under 10 minutes. The process produces components >99.9% dense, and can be applied to alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V. Other technology examples include SMQ, Debulk Blankets, Ceramic thermoplastic tooling with unlimited size capabilities.
Patented Technology
In total, Temper and Boeing have been granted over 100 patents in the areas of processing composites; titanium, aluminum, and magnesium alloys; and armors and steels.
Temper and The Boeing Company have been developing magnetic processing technologies together for over 15 years.
Development Timeline
- 2001 - First proof of concept of Hot Metal Gas Forming (direct part heating and gas expansion)
- 2003 - Demonstration of Hot Metal Gas Forming System in a prototype production environment
- 2006 - First proof of concept heating fixture (smart susceptor)
- 2007 - First proof of concept thermoplastic smart susceptor molding fixture
- 2008 - Demonstrated the use of densifying Ti 6Al 4V using smart susceptors and mix match plasticity
- 2010 - First production capable thermoplastic smart susceptor mold
- 2011 - Demonstrated first smart susceptor blanket
- 2012 - Demonstrated Multi-blanket thermoset curing using smart susceptor blankets
- 2012 - Demonstrated first thermoplastic welding using smart susceptor technology
- 2013 - Demonstrated first thermoplastic molding using aluminum air bladders and smart susceptor technology
- 2016 - Demonstrated TiPAD titanium densification using recycled titanium 6Al4 powders using smart susceptors
- 2017 - Designed, built and installed large production debulking system for use in fabrication of 787 rear elevators
- 2018 - Demonstrated large scale ceramic based smart susceptor molding
- 2018 - Winner of Boeings silver star award given to only 3% of Boeings Supply base
- 2019 - Winner of Boeings silver star award given to only 3% of Boeings Supply base – two years in a row