The procedure of semi-solid forming is composed of heating a billet, forming, compression holding and ejecting step. There are several methods to heat a billet during semi-solid forming process such as electric heating and induction heating. Usually in semi-solid forming process, induction heating has been adopted to achieve more uniform temperature of semi-solid material. Although induction heating is better method than any others, however, there is still difference of temperature between internal part and surface part of semi-solid material. Worse yet, in case of high liquid fraction of semi-solid material, liquid of the billet will flow down though solid of the billet still remains, which is very difficult to handle.
In the present study, induction heating of semi-solid material with compulsive surface cooling has been performed to obtain uniform distribution of temperature. Distribution of temperature of the billets was measured and compared with that of conventional distribution of temperature. By this new induction heating method, not only temperature over the whole billet become uniform, but also control of temperature is possible.
