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Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Semi-Solid Processing of Alloys and Composites 2002., 2002-09-24
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Semi-Solid Casting and Forging of A357 Aluminum Alloy Components
Loong, C.-A.; Zheng, C.-Q.; Shehata, M. T.; Essadiqi, E.; Kao, V.
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IMI2002-94586-G CNRC 45324
Semi-Solid Casting and Forging A357 of Aluminum Alloy
Components
C-A. Loong and C-Q. Zheng
Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council Canada, 75 de Montagne, Boucherville,Quebec, Canada J4B 6Y4
M.T. Shehata, E. Essadiqi and V. Kao
Materials Technology Laboratory/CANMET, 568 Booth Street, OUawa,Ontario, Canada K1A OG1
Summary
This paper describes experiment work at Industrial Materials Institute and Materials Technology laboratory of CANMET on thixoforming of A357 aluminum alloy.
Commercial slugs are reheated under controlled conditions to obtain a globular primary phase in the microstructure. Reheating is carried out in a specially designed single coil induction unit operating at 10kHz, a frequency much higher than that found in commercial induction units. Temperature uniformity in the slug is optimized by controlling power input into the coil by means of a thermocouple strategically located in the workpiece. The semi-solid material is cast in a 600T capacity die casting machine into a box-like component weighing 1.4 kg. Forging is done in a 500 T capacity press to produce a disc-shaped 1.5 Kg component. Different regions of the components are sectioned and their microstructures are evaluated. Further, the mechanical properties of the semi-solid die cast and forged products are determined and compared.
Keywords: Semi-solid forming, SSM, die casting, forging, A357 alloy
1 Introduction
Industrial components are increasingly being manufactured from semi-solid
aluminum-silicon alloys for stress-bearing and structural applications in automobiles, particularly in Europe (1,2). Most are thixocast by reheating pre-processed feedstock with a fine and non-dendritic structure to a fraction solid of approximately 50% and injecting the material into the die cavity of a pressure die casting machine. Recently, however, there has been an increasing emphasis to eliminate the reheating stage altogether because of cost and other considerations such as energy savings and in-house recycling. Instead, components are cast directly from slurries prepared just prior to forming, a process commonly referred to as "slurry on demand." (3-5). Typical components now being manufactured include suspension arms, engine brackets, master brake cylinders, knuckles and fuel rails (1,3). Generally components that require superior properties not achievable by the liquid route are good candidates for thixoforming. More often than not, these components are heat-treated to further enhance their mechanical properties, a procedure not recommended for conventional pressure die cast components because of blistering problems.
