A look at physical simulation of metallurgical processes, past, present and future

The year 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of Dynamic Systems Inc., the developer and manufacturer of Gleeble physical simulation systems. From the initial welding simulators in the 1950s to today's complex rolling simulators and multi-axis nano-material development tools, the evolution of equipment for physical simulation research has evolved along several paths. In each case, a need to develop or improve processes and materials has pushed the technology to new levels. This paper takes a brief look at the historical developments of physical simulation tools over the last 50 years and reviews a number of significant milestones in the evolving science of physical simulation. After a historical review, the current technologies and accomplishments are discussed. This includes a look at the most recent developing methods such as the use of laser ultrasonics to gather real-time microstructure information during the simulation. This paper also reviews recent work in simulating thin slab continuous casting. Finally a look at what may be expected in the future for physical simulation is presented.