Abstract: Certain disclosed embodiments concern making sports equipment, such as golf club heads, using polishing marks to facilitate removing material from as-cast work pieces to produce a final thickness within a desired specification, such as 0.6 millimeter or less ±0.05 millimeter. At least one polish mark, more typically plural polish marks, is formed into an outer surface of an as-cast article to a depth selected to provide a final product thickness subsequent to polishing that is ±0.05 millimeter of a final desired thickness. The golf club head or component is then polished at least once to remove club head material substantially corresponding to the depth of the at least one polish mark. The method may further comprise joining the club head to a shaft.

Abstract: A hot gas valve disc for a divert and attitude control disc switching element used in a propelled craft. The hot gas valve disc comprises a first layer comprising a first metal material having a first grain size and a first grain orientation, and at least one additional layer comprising a second metal material having a second grain size that differs from the first grain size, or a second grain orientation that differs from the first grain orientation. A method of manufacturing the hot gas valve disc comprises the steps of fabricating a first metal layer using a solid-free-form fabrication process, the first metal layer having a set of grain characteristics comprising grain size and grain structure, followed by heating the first layer and thereby changing at least one of the grain characteristics.

Abstract: A presently-preferred process for manufacturing a connecting rod comprises placing a heated preform suitable for being formed into the connecting rod into a closed forge die, and forging the preform in a first forging operation while the preform is at a forging temperature to form an as-forged connecting rod having vertical flash extending therefrom. The presently-preferred process further comprises placing the as-forged connecting rod in a second forge die while the as-forged connecting rod is at a temperature substantially equal to the forging temperature, and forging the vertical flash in a second forging operation. The presently-preferred process also comprises removing the as-forged connecting rod from the second forge die, and machining the as-forged connecting rod to predetermined dimensions.

Abstract: A process and equipment is disclosed for the production and use of precursor material in the continuous production of large diameter bars for semi-solid forming. The invention discloses the production and use of precursor material for the semi solid formation of light non-ferrous metals, non-ferrous copper-based alloys and metal matrix composites (MMC) based on the above metals. The inventive process and equipment allows extrusion of material bars with a negative extrusion ratio for use in semi-solid forming.