Effects of processing parameters on microstructure of semi-solid magnesium alloy

In this paper, the effects of pouring temperature of magnesium melt, preheating temperature of the barrel of the screw mixer, and shear rate on the solidified microstructures of semi-solid slurry were investigated by a mechanical stirring semi-solid process. The appropriate processing parameters of slurry preparation were obtained, and the mold filling ability of semi-solid slurry for thin-walled casting was examined. Results indicate that the solid volume fraction of non-dendritic microstructure increases with a decrease in pouring temperature of magnesium melt and the barrel preheating temperature of the screw mixer. Also the grain size of primary α-phase is reduced. Furthermore, the solid volume fraction of semi-solid nondendritic structure decreases with an increase of shear rate. The fine and round granular microstructure with 30～50 μm in size of semi-solid AZ91D magnesium alloy was presented. Finally, a 1.0 mm thin-walled casting with a clear contour and good soundness was successfully made by semi-solid rheo-diecasting.     

高压重载螺旋传动副流固耦合与间隙优化分析

梯形丝杠副正常工作时，丝杠与螺母接触表面变形使间隙油膜厚度和压力分布不均匀，进而对梯形丝杠副的工作状态、油膜润滑特性和承载能力产生一系列影响，因此采用流固耦合分析方法对油润滑梯形丝杠副进行仿真研究。分别建立了梯形丝杠副固体模型和丝杠螺母间隙油膜的流体模型，采用流固耦合仿真分析方法，考虑油膜承载时压力升高而导致梯形丝杠副结构变形这一现象，得到相同工况、不同间隙下，丝杠与螺母的应力和变形情况以及油膜厚度对其承载性能和刚度的影响。研究结果显示：高压重载工况下，梯形丝杠与螺母均满足材料的屈服强度要求；综合考虑梯形丝杠副间隙与油膜承载刚度和承载力的关系，其润滑与承载性能在间隙为0.15～0.20 mm时最佳。     

Using contrast material techniques to determine metal flow in screw extrusion of aluminium

Screw extrusion is a new continuous solid state processing method for aluminium. In this process, small pieces of aluminium are continuously inserted into a container wherein a rotating screw pushes the material forward. The material is heated, consolidated and extruded through a die in front of the end of the screw in one single continuous process. Understanding the material flow and the pressure generating mechanism is vital for optimizing screw, container and die designs, thereby increasing capacity, material quality and process stability. Full scale experiments using a prototype extruder were chosen as the means of investigation. In this paper, it is reported on the development of a novel contrast material technique to visualize material flow in the screw channels and the extrusion chamber. Extrusion of Ø 10 mm aluminium profiles was performed using both single and double flight screws. The experimental technique provided a means for evaluating the frictional conditions between the aluminium and the surface of the extruder. Different feeding schemes were used to identify regions of high material flow rate together with dead metal zones in the screw channels and in the extrusion chamber. It is demonstrated how newly fed material interacts with and displaces material already present and how the screw pushes material into the extrusion chamber. The instantaneous extrusion velocity was measured and significant variations were detected for all feed rates. An explanatory model of the extrusion pressure generating mechanism in the extrusion chamber and the screw channel is presented linking the material flow and the consolidation process to the extrusion velocity variations.     

Mechanical properties of thixomolded AZ91D magnesium alloy

Tensile properties of thixomolded AZ91D alloy were studied to investigate the fracture mechanism by the microstructure and decohesion surfaces of tensile specimens which were manufactured at different processing conditions including barrel temperature, shot velocity, mold temperature and screw rotation speed. The results revealed that mechanical properties of thixomolded AZ91D mainly depended on porosity level, the size and volume fraction of primary solid phase and the size of α-Mg and β-Mg₁₇Al₁₂ in liquid phase. The increase in barrel temperature and shot velocity would cause the increase of both strength and ductility, while increasing mold temperature or improving screw rotation speed was coupled by the reduction of tensile properties. The tensile behaviors for different processing parameters were reasonably interpreted through the dependant factors during the deformation.     

An internal-variable constitutive model for semisolid slurries at high solid fractions

A mathematical model is proposed to represent the thixotropic behavior of semisolid slurries at high solid fractions (ƒ_s > 0.6), as occurs in dispersion-strengthened metal-matrix composite processing. The model assumes that the slurry behaves as a viscoplastic porous medium saturated with liquid phase and hardened or softened, depending on the shear rate and solid fraction. The model is validated by comparison of its predictions with a recent set of experimental data on Sn-Pb alloys.     

低压蒸汽差压发电技术应用

钢厂低压蒸汽在减温减压处理过程中没有有效收集利用会造成能源浪费,该文提出了低压蒸汽差压发电技术,利用螺杆膨胀动力机回收蒸汽的势能做功发电,并介绍了该螺杆发电机组的螺杆膨胀动力机、控制系统、动力系统等。经试验验证,该技术能有效回收低品位能源处理过程中损失的能耗。     

Temperature dependence of screw dislocation mobility on shuffle-set of silicon

Large-scale atomistic simulations are performed in order to observe local behaviors of screw dislocations located on the shuffle set of (111) in single crystal silicon, focusing on the propagation process of the screw dislocations. A quadrupolar arrangement of screw dislocations is utilized to impose the periodic boundary conditions along each of the three spatial directions. With the aid of molecular dynamics simulations, the dislocation mobility is investigated in terms of the critical resolved shear stress. Based on the results from the simulations, we discuss effects of the model size and temperature on the critical resolved shear stress. After choosing the proper model size to reduce undesirable interference between the dislocations, we further estimate the Peierls stress by fitting from a set of the critical resolved shear stresses at various temperatures. Meanwhile, we observe a double kink mechanism in the dislocation propagation which is the most energetically favorable dislocation movement in silicon. We investigate the formation and migration of kink pairs on an undissociated screw dislocation in silicon.     

Experimental and CFD investigation on the solidification process in a co-rotating twin screw melt conditioner

Twin screw melt conditioners are used for mixing purposes and are mainly used for polymer processing. These conditioners (extruders) can be used for liquid metal processing in which liquid metal/slurry is subjected to high shear stress. This process results in grain refinement of structure. In this article, in a co-rotating twin screw melt conditioner, the solidification process of a liquid along with temperature variations of the melt with regard to the complexity of the flow has been examined. With the aid of dynamic mesh scheme, a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulation was performed. The achieved results were in good agreement with values based on the experimental measurements. It was concluded that shearing and pouring temperatures play important roles in solidification progression and the main reason of surviving nuclei is heat dissipation from the barrel. Also, the main factor affecting the grain size is the temperature differences between the pouring and the setting temperature. It was observed that, the twin screw melt conditioner can decrease the temperature gradient and with the help of turbulence, providing appropriate conditions for formation of fine and equiaxed grains.     

焊缝金属厚度方向的流动与洋葱瓣花纹的形成

研究了在铝合金薄板与铜箔交替叠加的多层板搅拌摩擦焊过程中焊缝金属的塑性流动行为.结果表明,用带螺纹的搅拌针焊接时,搅拌针周围金属沿螺纹在焊缝厚度方向产生剧烈的流动,在螺纹端部脱离搅拌针并向周围挤压母材,形成实心环形挤压区,与周围母材有明显的界面.洋葱瓣花纹是实心环形挤压区在焊缝横截面上的表现形式.搅拌针表面的螺纹提供金属在焊缝厚度方向流动的驱动力.搅拌头顺时针旋转时,用左螺纹搅拌针焊接的焊缝横截面上,洋葱瓣花纹的中心偏向焊缝底部;用右螺纹搅拌针焊接的横截面上,花纹的中心偏向焊缝表面.     

Analytical study of maximal tapping torque during forming screw process

Forming screws lead to a bolted assembly forming the threads of the work-piece by displacing material. The automotive industry is one of the largest markets for forming screws, which have been developed in the last ten years. One of the problems facing the designer of bolted assemblies using forming screws is the knowledge of the forming torque during the process.This study proposes an analytical model based on a previous study concerning radial penetration of a rigid acute wedge into a perfectly plastic material. The method uses the slip-line method with a model taking into account the interaction between two consecutive formed threads and enables the mean pressure on the thread flank to be obtained as a function of the formed thread height. From these results and a knowledge of the forming screw end geometry, an analytical method is proposed for the maximum forming torque, the physical phenomena of the displacement of material in the tapping process is illustrated and the significantly influential parameters highlighted. An experimental study seeks to determine the optimal lead hole on the work piece for an M8 screw. This sets limits on the forming torque and conserves a sufficiently well formed thread shape for good stripping resistance. The experimental results are compared favorably with the results of the analytical study in order to validate the forming screw model.     

厚大螺母与镀锌薄钢板环凸焊接头组织与性能

通过大量试验,探讨了厚大螺母与镀锌薄板环凸焊接头的组织与性能,结果表明：当接头具有良好的性能时,结合面存在的微区熔化并凝固的细小等轴晶,其接头的连接机制属于微区熔化和固态塑性变形＋动态再结晶的混合连接模式。     

汽车前保险杠防撞梁本体拉深成形压边力计算

为避免复杂型面的汽车前保险杠防撞梁本体拉深成形中易起皱和拉裂等缺陷,提出了以微元离散圆形拉深的方法计算弧长方向的压边力变化曲线.首先分析了工件的几何物理性质和技术要求,在此基础上建立了塑性方程.然后对拉深成形过程进行近似假设,建立拉深的某一瞬间凸缘起皱后的波纹表面模型,建立压边力的方程,并获得沿弧长方向的分布曲线.结果表明,该压边力计算方法可以有效避免自由曲面拉深中的缺陷.     

Mathematic model of solid fraction during rheo-casting by the cooling sloping plate process

A mathematic model of the solid fraction during rheo-casting by the cooling sloping plate process was established, and the effects of the process parameters on the solid fraction were analyzed. The calculation results show that the experimental result is approximately agreed with the calculation value. The effect of the casting temperature on the change rate of the solid fraction is not obvious. But the beginning solidification length is greatly influenced by the casting temperature. The beginning solidification length increases with the increment of the casting temperature. The effect of the sloping angle on the solid fraction becomes obvious with the increment of the sloping plate length. The solid fraction increases sharply with the decrease of the initial thickness of the melt. The melt initial thickness between 15 and 20 mm is suggested.     

Improved modelling of cutting force coefficients in peripheral milling

Titanium is one of the most widely used metals in the aircraft and turbine manufacturing industries. Accurate prediction of cutting forces is important in controlling the dimensional accuracy of thin walled aerospace components. In this paper, a general three-dimensional mechanistic model for peripheral milling processes is presented. The effects of chip thickness, rake angle and cutting geometry on chip flow, rake face friction and pressure, and cutting forces are analyzed. A set of closed form expressions with experimentally estimated cutting force factors are presented for the prediction of cutting forces. The model is verified experimentally in the peripheral milling of a titanium alloy. For a given set of cutting conditions and tool geometry, the model predicts the cutting forces accurately for the chip thickness and rake angle ranges tested.     

触变注射成形AZ91D合金组织和拉伸断裂特性研究

通过不同工艺制备的合金的组织特点和性能变化,研究了触变注射成形AZ91D合金的拉伸断裂行为。结果表明,典型触变注射成形AZ91D合金的室温组织主要由未熔固相α-Mg和液相急冷组织构成。未熔固相有类球状、不规则状、包裹液相和内部小液池等4种形态。液相急冷组织包含初生α-Mg固相和共晶相,初生固相较规则,尺寸较小,主要受液相的过冷度影响。当组织变化不大时,孔隙率对合金性能的影响最大,而当孔隙率变化不大时,组织的变化对性能的影响较大,固相率较低和初生固相较细小的试样的力学性能较好。试样拉伸时裂纹主要沿着未熔固相与液相的界面或初生固相与共晶的界面扩展。当固相率较高时,裂纹大部分沿着未熔固相与液相的界面扩展,试样的性能较低;而当固相率较低时,裂纹大部分沿着初生固相与共晶相的界面扩展,并通过β相的桥接进行拓展,性能较好。     

Modelling and analysis of contact stress for automated polishing

Though research on force control of polishing processes is archived in the literature, the objective has been on maintaining a constant force on the polishing tool. However, this constant polishing force does not guarantee a constant contact stress between the polishing tool and the part being polished. It is the contact stress that determines the quality of the polished part, not the force exerted on the polishing tool. Under the constant force on the polishing tool, the contact stress will change from point to point if the part geometry varies, which is the case for most industrial parts. If the contact stress is too high, the part will be over polished. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to model and analyze the contact stress for an automated polishing process. To do so, first, the Hertzian contact model is applied, which calculates the contact stress under a constant force on the tool. This model is established in terms of the part geometry, based on which a pressure distribution map is simulated. Second, with this pressure model at hand, the tool speed and torque model is established, and their distribution maps are also simulated in terms of the part geometry. These maps are then used to generate the set points for tool force and tool speed under the constant contact stress. These set points can be augmented into the conventional NC code to form a complete CNC code for polishing. The effectiveness of the parameter planning is assessed through open loop control. The parameter planning method allows polishing without significantly changing the part profile, whereas without the parameter planning, the part profile is changed considerably.     

A three-phase simulation of the effect of microstructural features on semi-solid tensile deformation

A direct finite-element microstructure model for prediction of the deformation behavior of semi-solid metallic alloys is presented. The 2D model geometry is based on a modified Voronoi tessellation, and includes rounded corners to approximate an equiaxed-globular grain structure, liquid surrounding the grains, and micro-porosity. An elasto-plastic empirical constitutive equation is derived for the solid grains, while the liquid is approximated as a perfectly plastic material with a very low yield stress. The resulting three-phase model was used to investigate the effects of fraction solid, porosity, and grain size on the constitutive behavior of a semi-solid aluminum alloy, AA5182. The model predictions were validated against experimental data at high fraction solid. These simulations reveal a strong correlation between semi-solid grain size and yield stress, and between porosity and strain localization. The application of direct finite-element simulations is shown to be an effective technique for examining the effects of microstructure phenomena on the macro constitutive behavior of semi-solid materials.     

A 3-D coupled hydromechanical granular model for simulating the constitutive behavior of metallic alloys during solidification

A three-dimensional (3-D) coupled hydromechanical granular model has been developed and validated to directly predict, for the first time, hot tear formation and stress–strain behavior in metallic alloys during solidification. This granular model consists of four separate 3-D modules: (i) the solidification module is used to generate the solid–liquid geometry at a given solid fraction; (ii) the fluid flow module (FFM) is used to calculate the solidification shrinkage and deformation-induced pressure drop within the intergranular liquid; (iii) the semi-solid deformation module (SDM) simulates the rheological behavior of the granular structure; and (iv) the failure module (FM) simulates crack initiation and propagation. Since solid deformation, intergranular flow and crack initiation are deeply linked together, the FFM, SDM and FM are coupled processes. This has been achieved through the development of a new three-phase interactive technique that couples the interaction between intergranular liquid, solid grains and growing voids. The results show that the pressure drop, and consequently hot tear formation, depends also on the compressibility of the mushy zone skeleton, in addition to the well-known contributors (lack of liquid feeding and semi-solid deformation).     

数控机床滚珠丝杠副织构化减摩设计及仿真

针对数控机床进给系统滚珠丝杠副高速运行时润滑不良、磨损较大的情况,基于Hertz接触理论对滚珠丝杠副的接触应力进行计算并确定了织构的加工位置,建立了有、无织构的滚珠丝杠副分析模型,对滚珠丝杠副的接触应力和润滑特性进行有限元分析,并对比分析了有、无织构时滚珠丝杠副的接触与润滑性能。结果表明,有织构时虽会增大滚珠丝杠副的接触应力,但在织构两侧产生的流体动压可使滚珠丝杠副形成流体摩擦,极大改善其润滑性能,从而起到很好的减摩效果。     

A feature based analysis of tube extrusion

The paper presents a feature based upper-bound model to analyze three dimensional complex geometry tube extrusion process having generalized die and mandrel profiles. The analysis is based on kinematically admissible velocity field to obtain the optimal extrusion pressure by optimizing the die length using Variable Interval Golden Section Method. Various parameters such as product profile, shape complexity factor, die and mandrel profiles, reduction, friction, ram velocity and die length, etc., have been chosen for the process and parametric study on extrusion. The experimental and the proposed analytical results have been compared with experimental work by authors and analytical works of other researchers to validate the model that shows good agreement.