Hot chamber diecasting with Si3N4 ceramic injection system: application to aluminium alloy components

Abstract

Although hot chamber diecasting is an appropriate technology for producing high quality cast components, there are material limitations; at the process temperature, aluminium alloy erodes the immersed steel shot sleeve and plunger. Attempts have been made to employ a Si₃N₄ ceramic in place of steel. High quality Al hot chamber diecast components can be manufactured in this manner, but long production runs are not possible because failures occur in the ceramic sleeve even after, for example, a few thousand shots. The fracture in the ceramic sleeve is caused by high stresses arising from the plunger galling the sleeve surface owing to penetration of the Al alloy into the gap between the sleeve and plunger. The infiltrated Al alloy has been found to react chemically with the ceramics; silicon in the ceramic reacts with iron particles present as inclusions in the Al alloy. Hence, the purity of the molten Al alloy in the crucible is a significant factor in the production of high quality diecast components. To prevent penetration of the Al alloy, the injection system is cleaned periodically using hydrochloric acid, which dissolves the infiltrated Al alloy. Since etching by HCl can reduce the strength of the ceramic parts, this cleaning process must also be reconsidered. Recommendations to improve the quality of hot chamber diecast Al components are proposed.     

Numerical Simulation of the Liquid-Gas Interface Shape in the Shot Sleeve of Cold Chamber Die Casting Machine

A mathematical model has been developed to simulate the flow pattern of molten metal and to predict the liquid-gas interface shape in the shot sleeve of a cold chamber die casting machine during the injection stage. The flow pattern in the shot sleeve is known to be closely related to the extent of gas entrapment of molten metal in the sleeve during the injection operation. In this study, a Variable Spacing Even Mesh (VSEM) method is proposed to incorporate with a computational fluid dynamics technique, named SOLA-MAC, to simulate the flow pattern in the shot sleeve. SOLA-MAC can deal with free surface flow problems while the VSEM method is used to handle the problem where the space in the shot sleeve keeps decreasing as the plunger moves to push the molten metal. The model is then tested on the shot sleeve of a cold chamber die casting machine. Four plunger speeds are tested to demonstrate the effects on the flow pattern of molten metal in the shot sleeve. The critical speed found in this study is 38 cm/s and it is close to the reported critical speed under the conditions that the space between the plunger and the sleeve end is 5 cm in diameter and 30 cm in length, and the fill ratio is 50%. As the plunger speed is slower than the critical speed, the wave front propagates along the sleeve faster than the plunger and reflects against the end wall of the sleeve. The remaining air in the shot sleeve is entrained as the wave front enters to the gate. As the plunger speed is higher than the suggested critical speed, the melt is immediately pushed higher in front of the plunger and forms a surge. The surge traps air in the early stage of the injection process.     

Water analogue validation of numerical model for fluid flow during slow shot phase in die casting process

Abstract

Air that becomes entrapped in the molten metal during the die casting process has a major effect on the formation of porosity in horizontal cold chamber die castings. In this study, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model was developed to study the flow patterns of liquid metal in the injection chamber, in which the moving boundary conditions of the plunger movement was considered in detail. According to the principle of die casting machines, a water analogue system was designed and built to investigate the slow shot process. A colour high speed camera was used to record the fluid flow patterns under different plunger movement profiles. The numerical simulation results agreed well with the water analogue experimental results, which validated the numerical model of shot processing in the cold chamber of the die casting process.     

正确选择慢压射速度

卧室冷室压铸机压铸时,压室底部被浇入的金属熔体所覆盖,熔体上部分至压室顶部的空间被气体所占据.在慢压射时(即三级压射系统的第一级压射或四级压射系统的第二级压射),这些气体,在慢压射参数正确时,通过模具排出,否则会卷入金属熔体一同充填型腔,成为铸件内气孔的主要形成原因,由此弄清慢压射行程中冲头速度与金属熔体波的形貌,可正确选择慢压射速度.     

Feasibility of semi-solid die casting of ADC12 aluminum alloy

The feasibility of semi-solid die casting of ADC12 aluminum alloy was studied. The effects of plunger speed, gate thickness, and solid fraction of the slurry on the defects were determined. The defects investigated are gas and shrinkage porosity. In the experiments, semi-solid slurry was prepared by the gas-induced semi-solid (GISS) technique. Then, the slurry was transferred to the shot sleeve and injected into the die. The die and shot sleeve temperatures were kept at 180 °C and 250 °C, respectively. The results show that the samples produced by the GISS die casting give little porosity, no blister and uniform microstructure. From all the results, it can be concluded that the GISS process is feasible to apply in the ADC12 aluminum die casting process. In addition, the GISS process can give improved properties such as decreased porosity and increased microstructure uniformity.     

压室液态金属流动耦合温度场三维数值模拟

压铸过程中,压室内液态金属卷入的气体是影响铸件质量的原因之一.针对压室压射过程,引入冲头的移动规律以及流动过程中热量传递的计算,实现并开发了压室压射过程的流场耦合温度场的数值模拟程序.采用所开发的模拟程序对压室金属流动及传热过程进行了模拟,模拟结果与FLOW-3D的计算结果以及临界速度理论作比较,两者均吻合.采用压室模拟能够优化冲头的运动规律,使卷气最小.     

Thermal and flow modelling of ladling and injection in high pressure die casting process

Air entrapment and premature solidification in the shot sleeve of the cold chamber high pressure die casting process are problems affecting the casting quality. These issues are addressed from several viewpoints, including heat loss during metal ladling, turbulence generation and gas escape during pouring, wave formation and propagation during metal pouring and injection, and heat loss and solid creation in the shot sleeve during metal injection. Measurements and simulations have been conducted for a typical industrial case where the fill ratio of the shot sleeve is about 30%. It has been found that the settling time of the aluminium alloy in the shot sleeve has a profound influence on the air entrapment. The settling time also has a negative effect on the metal quality the solid formation (premature solidification or cold flakes) in the shot sleeve. Fast pouring and quick injection (no settling time) are recommended as a good approach to minimise the air entrapment and cold flakes in the shot sleeve in this particular case. IJCMR/474     

Comparison of mechanical properties of die cast aluminium alloys: cold v. hot chamber die casting and high v. low speed filling die casting

Abstract

In this paper, the mechanical properties of die cast aluminium alloys made by various die casting technologies were examined. To create high quality aluminium alloy die castings, two die casting processing technologies were employed. These were (a) ultra slow speed filling cold chamber die casting and (b) high speed hot chamber die casting. Significant improvements of the fatigue and mechanical properties were obtained for both die casting systems compared to the normal high speed cold chamber die casting technique. By comparing ultra slow die casting with hot chamber die casting, it was found that the fatigue and mechanical strengths from hot chamber die casting were higher than those for ultra slow filling die casting. The differences in material strength were attributed directly to the material properties, e.g. microstructural morphology and internal defects. Spherical fine dendritic cells in the hot chamber die casting sample gave rise to high fatigue crack growth resistance; the low crack growth resistance for cold chamber die cast aluminium is mostly due to the growth of aluminium rich α phase and the presence of eutectic silicon fibres. The fatigue strength was also related to the number of internal defects, e.g. the lower the defect rate on the fracture surface, the higher the fatigue resistance and mechanical strength. The characteristics of the principal internal defect were different depending on the die casting technology: this showed fine porosity for hot chamber die casting but solidification shrinkage and the scattered chill structure for slow and high speed cold chamber die castings. The reasons for the change of material strength were therefore influenced by the die casting process.     

基于数值模拟的压铸过程低速工艺优化

低速压射过程中冲头的运动分为封闭浇料口、匀加速和匀速低速三个阶段,各个阶段的工艺参数对压室内金属液的流动形态都有重要作用,进而影响铸件中气孔缺陷的产生。采用数值模拟技术来研究不同工艺参数下压室内金属液的流动形态,对低速工艺进行优化。针对压射过程冲头的运动特征,引入了移动速度、压力边界条件,开发了压室压射过程三维数值模拟程序。结合慢压射临界速度理论,模拟了不同料口封闭速度、加速度和慢压射速度下压室内金属液波形的发展。模拟结果表明采用优化的工艺参数可以降低压室内的卷气。     

压室慢压射过程流场模拟

气孔是压铸生产中的常见问题,导致这一缺陷的原因之一就是在慢压射过程中压室内的金属液流动卷入了气体.文中在压铸流场模拟的基础上,增加了移动边界条件处理冲头的移动过程,模拟了慢压射过程中压室内流体的流动形态.模拟结果与理论计算值及国外商品化软件的计算结果进行了比较,均比较吻合.     

Determination of the metal/die interfacial heat transfer coefficient and its application in evaluating the pressure distribution inside the casting during the high pressure die casting process

Abstract

High pressure die casting (HPDC) experiments were conducted on a 650 t cold chamber die casting machine to study the interfacial heat transfer behaviour between casting and die. A 'step shape' casting and two commercial alloys namely ADC12 and AM50 were used during the experiments. Temperature and pressure measurements were made inside the die and at the die surface. The metal/die interfacial heat transfer coefficient (IHTC) was successfully determined based on the measured temperature inside the die by solving the inverse heat transfer problem. The IHTC was then used as the boundary condition to determine the 3-D temperature field inside the casting. Based on the predicted temperature distribution, the pressure distribution inside the casting was evaluated by assuming that the transferred pressure from the plunger tip of the injection side to the casting is primarily influenced by the solid fraction of the casting. Reasonable agreement was found between the determined pressure values and the measured pressures at the die surface of the casting.     

On the optimum plunger acceleration law in the slow shot phase of pressure die casting machines

The objective of this paper is to analyse a plunger acceleration law that is expected to minimize air entrapment in the slow shot phase of pressure die casting in horizontal cold chambers, and thus to reduce porosity in manufactured parts. The study is carried out using results from an analytical model of the flow of molten metal in the shot sleeve, which is based on the shallow-water approximation, and whose predicted optimum acceleration parameters are in good agreement with available experimental results. The results for the surface profiles of the wave formed during plunger movement using plunger acceleration laws which are typically used in pressure die casting are compared with those corresponding to the proposed law. Some analytical predictions for the wave profiles and for the mass of trapped air are compared with numerical results obtained from a finite-element code, which solves momentum and mass conservation equations. The limiting values of the initial filling fraction required for appropriate operating conditions are determined for wide ranges of acceleration parameters and pouring hole locations.     

压铸镁合金缺陷带的组织特征及形成机理

研究了压铸镁合金缺陷带的组织形貌及分布特征,建立缺陷带与压室预结晶(ESCs)、气缩孔及压铸工艺参数之间的对应关系,在此基础上探讨了缺陷带的形成及演化机理。结果表明,压铸镁合金截面凝固组织以缺陷带为界可划分为3个有明显组织特征差异的区域。随着压铸低速速度提高,镁合金凝固组织中ESCs含量逐渐降低,而缺陷带组织愈加明显并向压铸件中心靠拢,缺陷带宽度减小,其内部孔洞更加聚集;高速速度越大,压铸镁合金凝固组织中ESCs越分散,缺陷带向压铸件中心靠拢,压铸在无高速速度情况下,镁合金凝固组织横截面出现双缺陷带现象。压铸充型过程中金属液流的形态决定了缺陷带的分布位置和发展趋势,在高速金属液的剧烈冲刷及增压压力的作用下,靠近金属液流外轮廓的晶粒发生破碎或转动,在晶粒间形成大于剩余金属液体积的间隙,随着凝固的进行,形成沿液流轮廓分布孔洞聚集的缺陷带组织。     

Effects of process parameters on morphology and distribution of externally solidified crystals in microstructure of magnesium alloy die castings

During the cold-chamber high pressure die casting(HPDC) process, samples were produced to investigate the microstructure characteristics of AM60B magnesium alloy. Special attention was paid to the effects of process parameters on the morphology and distribution of externally solidified crystals(ESCs) in the microstructure of magnesium alloy die castings, such as slow shot phase plunger velocity, delay time of pouring and fast shot phase plunger velocity. On the basis of metallographic observation and quantitative statistics, it is concluded that a lower slow shot phase plunger velocity and a longer delay time of pouring both lead to an increment of the size and percentage of the ESCs, due to the fact that a longer holding time of the melt in the shot sleeve will cause a more severe loss of the superheat. The impingement of the melt flow on the ESCs is more intensive with a higher fast shot phase plunger velocity, in such case the ESCs reveal a more granular and roundish morphology and are dispersed throughout the cross section of the castings. Based on analysis of the filling and solidification processes of the melt during the HPDC process, reasonable explanations were proposed in terms of the nucleation, growth, remelting and fragmentation of the ESCs to interpret the effects of process parameters on the morphology and distribution of the ESCs in the microstructure of magnesium alloy die castings.     

镁合金热室压铸机压射室材料摩擦磨损机制研究

针对镁合金热室压铸机压射室和冲头的工况条件和工作特点,阐述了两者之间的接触机制,分析了腐蚀、磨损及腐蚀与磨损的协同作用的研究现状,为改善和提高压射室材料的使用寿命提供依据。     

Characterization and Modeling Study on Interfacial Heat Transfer Behavior and Solidified Microstructure of Die Cast Magnesium AlloysEI北大核心CSCD

Magnesium alloys are widely used in various fields because of their outstanding properties. High-pressure die casting (HPDC) is one of the primary manufacturing methods of magnesium alloys. During the HPDC process, the solidification manner of casting is highly dependent on the heat transfer behavior at metal-die interface, which directly affects the solidified microstructure evolution, defect distribution and mechanical properties of the cast products. As common solidified microstructures of die cast magnesium alloys, the externally solidified crystals (ESCs), divorced eutectics and primary dendrites have important influences on the final performance of castings. Therefore, investigations on the interfacial heat transfer behavior and the solidified microstructures of magnesium alloys have considerable significance on the optimization of die-casting process and the prediction of casting quality. In this paper, recent research progress on theoretical simulation and experimental characterization of the heat transfer behaviors and the solidified microstructures of die cast magnesium alloys was systematically presented. The contents include: (1) A boundary-condition model developed based on the interfacial heat transfer coefficients (IHTCs), which could precisely simulate the boundary condition at the metal-die interface during solidification process. Accordingly, the IHTCs can be divided into four stages, namely the initial increasing stage, the high value maintaining stage, the fast decreasing stage and the low value maintaining stage. (2) A numerical model developed to simulate and predict the flow patterns of the externally solidified crystals (ESCs) in the shot sleeve during mold filling process, together with discussion on the influence of the ESCs distribution on the defect bands of die cast magnesium alloys. (3) Nucleation and growth models of the primary alpha-Mg phases developed by considering the ESCs in the shot sleeve. (4) Nucleation and growth models of the divorced eutectic phase, which can be used to simulate the microstructure evolution of die cast magnesium alloys. (5) The 3D morphology and orientation selection of magnesium alloy dendrite. It was found that magnesium alloy dendrite exhibits an eighteen-primary branch pattern in 3D, with six growing along < 11(2)over bar0 > in the basal plane and the other twelve along < 11(2)over bar3 > in non-basal planes. Accordingly, an anisotropy growth function was developed and coupled into the phase field model to achieve the 3D simulation of magnesium alloy dendrite.     

压室内金属液流动形态的二维数值模拟

在普通压铸流场模拟的基础上,通过建立冲头、压室及金属液之间的运动学与动力学控制方程,以及三者之间的边界条件与初始条件,模拟了压室内金属液在冲头推动下的二维流动形态.分析了冲头的不同运动参数对压室内金属液卷气的影响,为实际压铸中慢压射速度的选择提供了参考.     

不同慢压射速度条件下AZ91D镁合金的真空辅助压铸

对不同慢压射速度条件下真空辅助对AZ91D镁合金压铸件组织及力学性能的影响进行了评估。在联合有自行改进的TOYO真空系统的TOYO BD-350V5型冷室压铸机上制备片状AZ91D镁合金压铸件。研究发现,充型时型腔真空压力随着慢压射速度的升高呈现3次方增长,导致真空辅助对压铸件中气孔的降低能力随着慢压射速度的降低而下降。常规和真空压铸件中压室预结晶组织（ESC）含量随着慢压射速度的变化趋势相似。在较低慢压射速度时,真空压铸件拉伸性能受ESC含量的影响很大,随着慢压射速度的升高,真空压铸件中气孔含量的影响将变得显著。     

Grain size distribution in a complex AM60 magnesium alloy die casting

Presolidified equiaxed dendritic crystals are observed in magnesium cold chamber high pressure die castings. Depending on the rate at which new crystals are formed and to what extent they survive in the shot sleeve, a mixture of liquid and crystals is injected into the die cavity resulting in floating crystals in the casting. Box shaped die castings of the AM60 magnesium alloy have been made with a cold chamber high pressure die casting machine. The resulting microstructure is generally observed to consist of (a) a fine grained structure or (b) a mixture of fine grains and coarse grains which is either centred or dispersed in the through thickness cross-section. The prevalence of structures is observed to vary with position in the casting. Close to the gate a coarse grained microstructure dominates, while fine grains dominate further from the gate. The volume fraction of floating crystals in the casting is shown to depend on the initial superheat of the melt. IJCMR/492     

压铸机压室温度分布与变形的二维模拟

针对卧式冷室压铸机压室的工作环境 ,提出三种不同的热传递数学模型。使用ABAQUS软件模拟压室在工作过程中的二维温度分布的几何变形状况。对比模拟和试验结果 ,得到了优化的数学模型