Effect of alloying elements on heat treatment response of aluminium high pressure die castings

Abstract

High pressure die cast (HPDC) aluminium components that respond to age hardening cannot normally be solution treated at high temperatures because the presence of internal porosity and entrapped gases leads to the formation of surface blisters. Parts may also become dimensionally unstable due to swelling. These factors that prevent heat treatment present significant limitations to the utilisation of HPDC components. Now it has been found that blistering and dimensional change can be avoided by using much shorter solution treatment times and lower temperatures. Experiments with alloys 360 (Al–9·5Si–0·5Mg) and 380 (Al–8·5Si–3·5Cu) have shown that strong responses to age hardening are still possible following these modified solution treatments. In the current paper, the role of critical alloying elements is considered in both current specification Al–Si–Cu–(X) alloys, and also in newly developed alloy compositions. It is shown that 0·2% proof strengths over 400 MPa may be readily achieved by heat treating conventionally produced die castings.     

Application of novel heat treatments for aluminium high pressure die castings to industrially produced components

Abstract

High pressure die casting (HPDC) is widely used as a cost effective way to mass produce metal components that are required to have close dimensional tolerances and smooth surface finishes, accounting for ～50% of the aluminium castings produced worldwide. These components are not considered to be heat treatable by conventional means because the high temperatures involved with solution treatment cause surface blistering and dimensional instability. A new heat treatment procedure involving a truncated solution treatment at lower than conventional temperatures alleviates this problem and can significantly improve mechanical properties, in many cases, doubling the 0·2% proof strength after artificial (T6) aging. This may enable current HPDC parts to be redesigned to use less metal while still achieving the required performance. The cost of heat treatment can be easily offset by the reduction in metal content and productivity improvements which result in an overall lower cost of the part. The new process also creates opportunities to substitute for some other cast or wrought products with aluminium HPDC parts of lower weight and lower cost. Application of this heat treatment technology to a range of industrially produced HPDC components is discussed and the cost advantages are briefly considered.     

Determination of interfacial heat transfer coefficient and its application in high pressure die casting process

In this paper,the research progress of the interfacial heat transfer in high pressure die casting（HPDC）is reviewed.Results including determination of the interfacial heat transfer coefficient（IHTC）,influence of casting thickness,process parameters and casting alloys on the IHTC are summarized and discussed.A thermal boundary condition model was developed based on the two correlations：（a）IHTC and casting solid fraction and（b）IHTC peak value and initial die surface temperature.The boundary model was then applied during the determination of the temperature field in HPDC and excellent agreement was found.     

Numerical simulation of molten metal flow under vacuum condition in high pressure and low pressure die casting process

Abstract

The vacuum analysis algorithm was developed to simulate the total system of high pressure die casting process including vacuum vent, cavity and plunger area. The various vacuum degrees (760, 650, 500, 250 and 60 mmHg) were artificially applied in cavity. The filling behaviours of molten metal under the applied vacuum conditions were simulated and compared with those of experiment. The filling amount in cavity was increased with the increase of applied vacuum pressure during partial shot experiments. The simulated filling behaviours of molten metal were relatively well agreed with those of experiment. Through the results of fluid flow simulation, the relationship of filling length and filling velocity with the variation of vacuum pressure was analysed respectively. And it applied to a real die casting product and the internal gas quantity of product was significantly reduced by modification of vacuum gate system.     

Study on interfacial heat transfer coefficient at metal/die interface during high pressure die casting process of AZ91D alloy

The high pressure die casting (HPDC) process is one of the fastest growing and most efficient methods for the production of complex shape castings of magnesium and aluminum alloys in today's manufacturing industry. In this study, a high pressure die casting experiment using AZ91D magnesium alloy was conducted, and the temperature profiles inside the die were measured. By using a computer program based on solving the inverse heat problem, the metal/die interfacial heat transfer coefficient (IHTC) was calculated and studied. The results show that the IHTC between the metal and die increases right after the liquid metal is brought into the cavity by the plunger, and decreases as the solidification process of the liquid metal proceeds until the liquid metal is completely solidified, when the IHTC tends to be stable. The interfacial heat transfer coefficient shows different characteristics under different casting wall thicknesses and varies with the change of solidification behavior.     

Interfacial heat transfer behavior at metal/die in finger-plated casting during high pressure die casting process

Heat transfer at the metal-die interface has a great influence on the solidification process and casting structure. As thin-wall components are extensively produced by high pressure die casting process(HPDC), the B390 alloy finger-plate casting was cast against an H13 steel die on a cold-chamber HPDC machine. The interfacial heat transfer behavior at different positions of the die was carefully studied using an inverse approach based on the temperature measurements inside the die. Furthermore, the filling process and the solidification rate in different finger-plates were also given to explain the distribution of interfacial heat flux(q) and interfacial heat transfer coefficient(h). Measurement results at the side of sprue indicates that qmax and hmax could reach 9.2 MW·m~(-2) and 64.3 kW ·m~(-2)·K~(-1), respectively. The simulation of melt flow in the die reveals that the thinnest(T_1) finger plate could accelerate the melt flow from 50 m·s~(-1) to 110 m·s~(-1). Due to this high velocity, the interfacial heat flux at the end of T_1 could firstly reach a highest value 7.92 MW·m~(-2) among the ends of T_n(n=2,3,4,5). In addition, the q_(max) and h_(max) values of T_2, T_4 and T_5 finger-plates increase with the increasing thickness of the finger plate. Finally, at the rapid decreasing stage of interfacial heat transfer coefficient(h), the decreasing rate of h has an exponential relationship with the increasing rate of solid fraction(f).     

Measurement of temperature inside die and estimation of interfacial heat transfer coefficient in squeeze casting

As an advanced near-net shape technology, squeeze casting is an excellent method for producing high integrity castings. Numerical simulation is a very effective method to optimize squeeze casting process, and the interfacial heat transfer coefficient (IHTC) is an important boundary condition in numerical simulation. Therefore, the study of the IHTC is of great significance. In the present study, experiments were conducted and a"plate shape" aluminum alloy casting was cast in H13 steel die. In order to obtain accurate temperature readings inside the die, a special temperature sensor units (TSU) was designed. Six 1 mm wide and 1 mm deep grooves were machined in the sensor unit for the placement of the thermocouples whose tips were welded to the end wall. Each groove was machined to terminate at a particular distance (1, 3, and 6 mm) from the front end of the sensor unit. Based on the temperature measurements inside the die, the interfacial heat transfer coefficient (IHTC) at the metal-die interface was determined by applying an inverse approach. The acquired data were processed by a low pass filtering method based on Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The feature of the IHTC at the metal-die interface was discussed.     

Development and application of inverse heat transfer model between liquid metal and shot sleeve in high pressure die casting process under non-shooting condition

To predict the heat transfer behavior of A380 alloy in a shot sleeve, a numerical approach(inverse method) is used and validated by high pressure die casting(HPDC) experiment under non-shooting condition. The maximum difference between the measured and calculated temperature profiles is smaller than 3 °C, which suggests that the inverse method can be used to predict the heat transfer behavior of alloys in a shot sleeve. Furthermore, the results indicate an increase in maximum interfacial heat flux density(q_(max)) and heat transfer coefficient(h_(max)) with an increase in sleeve filling ratio, especially at the pouring zone(S2 zone). In addition, the values of initial temperature(T_(IDS)) and maximum shot sleeve surface temperature(T_(simax)) at the two end zones(S2 and S10) are higher than those at the middle zone(S5). Moreover, in comparison with fluctuations in heat transfer coefficient(h) with time at the two end zones(S2 and S10), 2.4-6.5 kW ·m~(-2)·K~(-1), 3.5-12.5 kW ·m~(-2)·K~(-1), respectively, more fluctuations are found at S5 zone, 2.1-14.7 kW ·m~(-2)·K~(-1). These differences could theoretically explain the formation of the three zones: smooth pouring zone, un-smooth middle zone and smooth zone, with different morphologies in the metal log under the non-shot casting condition. Finally, our calculations also reveal that the values of q_(max) and h_(max) cast at 680 °C are smaller than those cast at 660 °C and at 700 °C.     

Effect of superheat,mold, and casting materials on the metal/mold interfacial heat transfer during solidification in graphite-lined permanent molds

Heat transfer during the solidification of an Al-Cu-Si alloy (LM4) and commercial pure tin in single steel, graphite, and graphite-lined metallic (composite) molds was investigated. Experiments were carried out at three different superheats. In the case of composite molds, the effect of the thickness of the graphite lining and the outer wall on heat transfer was studied. Temperatures at known locations inside the mold and casting were used to solve the Fourier heat conduction equation inversely to yield the casting/mold interfacial heat flux transients. Increased melt superheats and higher thermal conductivity of the mold material led to an increase in the peak heat flux at the metal/mold interface. Factorial experiments indicated that the mold material had a significant effect on the peak heat flux at the 5% level of significance. The ratio of graphite lining to outer steel wall and superheat had a significant effect on the peak heat flux in significance range varying between 5 and 25%. A heat flux model was proposed to estimate the maximum heat flux transients at different superheat levels of 25 to 75 °C for any metal/mold combinations having a thermal diffusivity ratio (α _R) varying between 0.25 and 6.96. The heat flow models could be used to estimate interfacial heat flux transients from the thermophysical properties of the mold and cast materials and the melt superheat. Metallographic analysis indicated finer microstructures for castings poured at increased melt superheats and cast in high-thermal diffusivity molds.