Material Science - Selecting Materials and Processing For A Specified Product
Material Science - Selecting Materials and Processing For A Specified Product
For the first section of my assignment I am going to concentrate on car road wheels.
I will look at the function and material property characteristics of the product and also the
design from which I will suggest the most appropriate processing method and most
suitable material.
I will then identify any possible limitations on the product imposed by the processing.
Function:
The wheel is a device that enables efficient movement of an object across a surface where
there is a force pressing the object to the surface. Common examples are a cart drawn by
a horse, and the rollers on an aircraft flap mechanism.
Alloy wheels are automobile (car, motorcycle and truck) wheels which are made from an
alloy of aluminum or magnesium metals (or sometimes a mixture of both). Alloy wheels
differ from normal steel wheels because of their lighter weight, which improves the
steering and the speed of the car, however some alloy wheels are heavier than the
equivalent size steel wheel. Alloy wheels are also better heat conductors than steel
wheels, improving heat dissipation from the brakes, which reduces the chance of brake
failure in more demanding driving conditions. Alloy wheels are also considered more
visually attractive than hubcaps.
Materials
Steel
Most genuine wheels are made of steel. A stamped inner part is junctioned to a rolled
outer rim and welded together. Many manufacturers use the same production method but
take stronger and/or thicker materials to increase load capacity and they also make them
in sizes better suited to aftermarket tires. The biggest disadvantage of steel is it's weight
or better it's lack of performance. An alloy wheel will accelerate faster and stop quicker as
well as reducing load on shocks and steering linkages.
A steel wheel will also bend much earlier than an alloy wheel. But you can hammer a steel
wheel back in shape while an alloy wheel will usually break. Also it's not uncommon for
steel to rust to a point where structural integrity is affected.
Aluminium Alloys
Alloys can't be knocked back into shape as easily as steel wheels, and if they are knocked
back into shape the structure could be seriously weakened.
In theory Alloy wheels as opposed to weight steel ones improve the handling and ride of
your car by reducing the unsprung weight. This gives the springs an easier time in
controlling the bouncing wheel and reduces its gyroscopic effect making it easier to turn.
As Alloys are generally accompanied by wider bigger tyres (heavier) of lower profile (stiffer
side walls) you probably would not notice these benefits.
Carbon fibre
These wheels are very rarely seen, they are extremely light, less than half that of a steel
rim of the same capacity. However they are prone to breakage if not constructed for off
road use- and I know of none produced in greater quantities. They are also extremely
expensive due to initial cost of raw material and the lot of manual work involved. Cost
about 10 times the price of a forged alloy wheel.
HNC Material Science Steve Goddard
Specific material property characteristics for a car road wheel would be:
o Colour – Car wheels make up a major part of the cars overall appearance and
aesthetics. Although it is worth mentioning that metals can be coloured by
chemical means.
o Density – A wheel is preferably light and a low density is essential to keeping this
weight down, keeping the density down will decrease the cars unsprung weight
resulting in better steering feel and increased brake response.
o Strength and toughness – A wheel would require this to make sure that it doesn't
deform or buckle with the weight and forces of the car acting upon it.
o Hardness – This will stop the material from denting, such as when it is fit with
debris from the road.
o Cost – For standard wheels this could be more important, although for customized
alloy wheels normally price isn't considered as much and more quality.
Material selection
There are two main materials in use for the production of wheels, other more exotic materials could
include magnesium alloys and composite materials but these would either be extremely expensive or
rare to come across. So In general, alloy wheels are lighter, more attractive, and better at dissipating
brake heat that their steel counterparts. They tend to be available in standardised sizes which mean
competition amongst tyre vendors giving low prices and good availability!
Alloy metals provide superior strength and dramatic weight reductions over ferrous metals such as
steel, and as such they represent the ideal material from which to create a high performance wheel. In
fact, today it is hard to imagine a world class racing car or high performance road vehicle that doesn't
utilize the benefits of alloy wheels.
The alloy used in the finest road wheels today is a blend of aluminum and other elements. The term
"mag wheel" is sometimes incorrectly used to describe alloy wheels. Magnesium is generally
considered to be an unsuitable alloy for road usage due to its brittle nature and susceptibility to
corrosion. (Flammability doesn't help either!)
Most genuine wheels are made of steel. A stamped inner part is junctioned to a rolled outer rim and
nowadays welded together. The setup is strong, easy to repair but most important, cheap to fabricate.
They can be painted over and over again if years of off roading take their toll. Many manufacturers use
the same production method but take stronger and/or thicker materials to increase load capacity and
they also make them in sizes better suited to aftermarket tires. The biggest disadvantage of steel is its
weight or better its lack of performance. An alloy wheel will accelerate faster and stop quicker as well as
reducing load on shocks and steering linkages.
A steel wheel will also bend much earlier than an alloy wheel. But you can hammer a steel wheel back
in shape while an alloy wheel will usually break. So if you intend to do many miles far away from
civilization keep the steel.
HNC Material Science Steve Goddard
Aluminum
Material Property: Priority: Alloy Steel Carbon Fiber Magnesium
Tensile Strength 5 5 2 3 4
Weight 6 4 2 5 4
Cost 4 3 5 1 1
Wear Resistance 3 3 4 1 4
Ease of Manufacture 2 4 5 2 2
Thermal Dissipation 1 4 3 3 4
82 67 59 68
Alloy Wheels
Steel Wheels
· Meet the basic needs of drivers who want the convenience tire package without the additional cost
of an alloy wheel
· Typically available in black or silver finish depending on the application
· Basic styling can often be updated with wheel covers
· Cost less than alloy wheels due to ease of manufacturing and lower material costs
Overall it really depends upon the major factor of: Cost or Performance.
Buying an alloy wheel will give you better handling, more responsive braking and a nicer look. Btu will
cost you more then the steel wheel, a steel wheel offers you the basics for an largely reduced price. I
think that an alloy wheel will last longer, and with the extra added performance benefit to the car it is
used on, in the long run the cost will even itself out.
Forging
Casting
After all the testing in ensuring the quality of the aluminium, the molten alloy is ready to
be formed through Six Axis Robotic Gravity Casting, Tuting Casting or Low Pressure
Casting. Once the wheel has been casted, each wheel will be inspected through x-ray
machine which delivers precise and reliable results of quality standards and safety at all
times.
The next process is the Riser Cutting where the point edge & the center core of the wheels
would be cut off by way of riser & sprue cutting. Then, all wheels will undergo the Solid
Solution Process or in short the T4 heat treatment. Wheels are placed in a heat treatment
furnace with very high temperature for four hours, after which they are soaked in water.
This process is to reinforce the microstructure of the wheel and
with the sudden change in temperature while soaking into the
water, it hardens the metal.
Continuing with that is the T6 Aging Process where the wheels
would go through six hours of heat treatment at a lower
temperature. Besides the hardness, the heat treatment also
ensures the fundamental elasticity and strent of the wheels.
After the machining process, the wheels will be checked to ensure that the PCD holes and
other dimensions comply with specifications. After which the wheels would be tested for
balance and checked for leaks.
From the CNC, wheels are moved to the painting area. Before the wheels
is on the conveyer for onwards cleaning as well as applying the process
of electrostatic, deburring of the wheels take place.(The deburring is to
ensure smooth finishing).
A base coat is applied using electrostatic powder coating and then the
wheels undergo the polishing process to ensure the good absorption of
paint. The colour coat paint is then applied and finally, a clear coat of
lacquer to the front face.
Next, a group of wheels (typically between about 70 and 350), are loaded onto racks and
subjected to a "batch" solution heat treatment process. The batch solution heat treatment
process is effected by placing the racks in a large gas-fired or electrical-resistance forced
air convection oven. In the convection oven, the castings are heated to a desired
"solution" temperature (approximately 1000° F.) and are maintained at this temperature
HNC Material Science Steve Goddard
for approximately 2 to 8 hours. Following heating, the batches of wheels are immediately
quenched in water to rapidly cool the wheels. Following cooling, the wheels are machined
and painted and/or clear coated, during which time they are naturally aged at room
temperature.
One of the problems associated with the above method for producing cast aluminum
wheels relates to the amount of "work-in-process" which occurs as a result of the long
process times. It is known that if a casting is heated to the correct "solution" temperature,
proper solution heat treatment will occur within about 5 minutes. However, since a large
number of wheels are heated during the batch solution heat treatment process, it is
difficult to maintain even and uniform temperatures in all the wheels. Thus, to ensure that
all the wheels are properly heat treated, the time to solution heat treat the wheels are
usually at least two hours.
Aluminium and aluminium alloys can be melted in a variety of ways. Coreless and channel
induction furnaces, crucible and open-hearth reverberatory furnaces fired by natural gas
or fuel oil, and electric resistance and electric radiation furnaces are all in routine use. The
nature of the furnace charge is as varied and important as the choice of furnace type for
metal casting operations. The furnace charge may range from prealloyed ingot of high
quality to charges made up exclusively from low-grade scrap.
Even under optimum melting and melt-holding conditions, molten aluminium is susceptible
to three types of degradation:
During the cooling and solidification of molten aluminium, dissolved hydrogen in excess of
the extremely low solid solubility may precipitate in molecular form, resulting in the
formation of primary and/or secondary voids.
Oxidization
Aluminium and its alloys oxidize readily in both the solid and molten states to provide a
continuous self-limiting film. The rate of oxidation increases with temperature and is
substantially greater in molten than in solid aluminium. The reactive elements contained in
alloys such as magnesium, strontium, sodium, calcium, beryllium, and titanium are also
factors in oxide formation. In both the molten and solid states, oxide formed at the surface
offers benefits in self-limitation and as a barrier to hydrogen diffusion and solution.
Induced turbulence, however, results in the entrainment of oxide particles, which resist
gravity separation because their density is similar to that of molten aluminium.
Oxides are formed by direct oxidation in air, by reaction with water vapour, or by
aluminothermic reaction with oxides of other metals, such as iron or silicon, contained in
tools and refractories. Aluminium oxide is polymorphic, but at molten metal temperature
the common forms of oxide encountered are crystalline and of a variety of types
depending on exposure, temperature, and time. Some crystallographic oxide forms affect
the appearance and coloration of castings, without other significant effects.
HNC Material Science Steve Goddard
For the second section of my assignment I have been asked to choose a critical/ important
component which my company is involved in. For this component I have chosen the
Intermediate gearbox housing of the A129 Helicopter.
Function
The function of the IGB (Intermediate gear box) housing is to hold and protect the gears
which transfer power from the main drive shafts to the tail drive shafts which is
subsequently transfer to the TRGB (Tail rotor gearbox). Weight on this part are particularly
important so this is one of the driving factors on the methods and materials used to
produce this component.
• Density – The IGB has a specific weight allowance that it must comply to.
• Strength – The SHP (Shaft horse power) going through these gearboxes require the
housing to be able to withstand a lot of stress.
• Hardness – The material used to make the IGB must be hard enough so that for
example if It was hit by a bullet the bullet would not pierce the interior workings of
the IGB. If it did this would cause the IGB to function incorrectly and potentially
disable the tail rotor causing the helicopter to spin out of control.
• Toughness – The IGB will be under constant loading from the rest of the helicopter,
it is important that the material used can withstand this.
• Machineability – This is important from a cost and manufacturing point of view, with
a good machineable material, manufacture will be easier and cheaper.
Sand Casting
Sand casting is used to make large parts (typically Iron, but also Bronze, Brass,
Aluminium). Molten metal is poured into a mold cavity formed out of sand (natural or
synthetic).
The cavity in the sand is formed by using a pattern (an approximate duplicate of the real
part), which are typically made out of wood, sometimes metal. The cavity is contained in
an aggregate housed in a box called the flask. Core is a sand shape inserted into the mold
HNC Material Science Steve Goddard
to produce the internal features of the part such as holes or internal passages. Cores are
placed in the cavity to form holes of the desired shapes. Core print is the region added to
the pattern, core, or mold that is used to locate and support the core within the mold. A
riser is an extra void created in the mold to contain excessive molten material. The
purpose of this is feed the molten metal to the mold cavity as the molten metal solidifies
and shrinks, and thereby prevents voids in the main casting.
In a two-part mold, which is typical of sand castings, the upper half, including the top half
of the pattern, flask, and core is called cope and the lower half is called drag. The parting
line or the parting surface is line or surface that separates the cope and drag. The drag is
first filled partially with sand, and the core print, the cores, and the gating system are
placed near the parting line. The cope is then assembled to the drag, and the sand is
poured on the cope half, covering the pattern, core and the gating system. The sand is
compacted by vibration and mechanical means. Next, the cope is removed from the drag,
and the pattern is carefully removed. The object is to remove the pattern without breaking
the mold cavity. This is facilitated by designing a draft, a slight angular offset from the
vertical to the vertical surfaces of the pattern. This is usually a minimum of 1° or 1.5 mm
(0.060 in), whichever is greater. The rougher the surface of the pattern, the more the draft
to be provided.
Investment casting
This is also known as the lost wax process. Intricate shapes can be made with high
accuracy. In addition, metals that are hard to machine or fabricate are good candidates for
this process. It can be used to make parts that cannot be produced by normal
manufacturing techniques, such as turbine blades that have complex shapes, or airplane
parts that have to withstand high temperatures.
The mold is made by making a pattern using wax or some other material that can be
melted away. This wax pattern is dipped in refractory slurry, which coats the wax pattern
and forms a skin. This is dried and the process of dipping in the slurry and drying is
repeated until a robust thickness is achieved. After this, the entire pattern is placed in an
oven and the wax is melted away. This leads to a mold that can be filled with the molten
metal. Because the mold is formed around a one-piece pattern, (which does not have to be
pulled out from the mold as in a traditional sand casting process), very intricate parts and
undercuts can be made. The wax pattern itself is made by duplicating using a stereo
lithography or similar model-which has been fabricated using a computer solid model
master.
The materials used for the slurry are a mixture of plaster of Paris, a binder and powdered
silica, a refractory, for low temperature melts. For higher temperature melts, sillimanite an
alumina-silicate is used as a refractory, and silica is used as a binder. Depending on the
fineness of the finish desired additional coatings of sillimanite and ethyl silicate may be
applied. The mold thus produced can be used directly for light castings, or be reinforced
by placing it in a larger container and reinforcing it more slurry.
HNC Material Science Steve Goddard
Just before the pour, the mold is pre-heated to about 1000 ºC (1832 ºF) to remove any
residues of wax, harden the binder. The pour in the pre-heated mold also ensures that the
mold will fill completely. Pouring can be done using gravity, pressure or vacuum
conditions. Attention must be paid to mold permeability when using pressure, to allow the
air to escape as the pour is done.
Tolerances of 0.5 % of length are routinely possible, and as low as 0.15 % is possible for
small dimensions. Castings can weigh from a few grams to 35 kg (0.1 oz to 80 lb),
although the normal size ranges from 200 g to about 8 kg (7 oz to 15 lb). Normal minimum
wall thicknesses are about 1 mm to about 0.5 mm (0.040-0.020 in) for alloys that can be
cast easily.
The types of materials that can be cast are Aluminium alloys, Bronzes, tool steels,
stainless steels, Stellite, Hastelloys, and precious metals. Parts made with investment
castings often do not require any further machining, because of the close tolerances that
can be achieved.
For this particular gearbox housing, cost was a deciding factor on the decision, the housing
is manufactured an Agusta owned plant in Italy and they specialise in sand casting, this
means that the housing will have thicker walls resulting in it weighing more but cost will be
reduced because the process is done in house and not by an external manufacturer.
Materials
I have researched into possible material that could be used for the manufacture of the
gearbox housing
Material Description
Aluminium Alloy Aluminum alloys, alloys of aluminum, often with copper, zinc,
manganese, silicon, or magnesium. They are much lighter and more
corrosion resistant than plain carbon steel, but not quite as corrosion
resistant as pure aluminum.
Steel Steel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content
between 0.2 and 1.7 depending on grade. Carbon is the most cost-
effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements
are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten.
Carbon and other elements act as a hardening agent, preventing
dislocations in the iron atom crystal lattice from sliding past one
another. Varying the amount of alloying elements and form of their
presence in the steel controls qualities such as the hardness, ductility
and tensile strength of the resulting steel.
Titanium Alloy Titanium alloys are metallic materials which contain a mixture of
titanium and other chemical elements. Such alloys have very high
tensile strength and toughness (even at extreme temperatures), light
weight, extraordinary corrosion resistance, and ability to withstand
extreme temperatures. However, the high cost of both raw materials
and processing limit their use to military applications, aircraft,
spacecraft, medical devices, and some premium sports equipment and
consumer electronics.
Element Weight %
Zn 4.20
Zr 0.70
Re 1.2
Conditions
Properties
T (°C) Treatment
Conditions
Properties
T (°C) Treatment
2) Some shapes of keys could very difficult or impossible to cast. Necessitating the
splitting of keys down into separate pieces to make casting possible then assemble
them and solder them together.
3) Due to long narrow shape of most keys, very high risk of inclusions and cold shuts.
4) Nickel silver material used for most keys is not very fluid when molten and this
process only uses gravity to fill the mould making thin sections difficult.
5) Final quality of castings depends on the skill of the caster. (Nothing to do with
wheels)
6) Sand casting is cheaper but you pay the price by having to increase wall thickness
compared to an investment casting.
HNC Material Science Steve Goddard
Bibliography
Evaluation of fatigue life of aluminium alloy wheels under radial loads – P. Ramamurty Raju
www.Wikipedia.org
www.sciencedirect.com
www.alcar.co.uk
www.bsa.com.ny
www.difflock.com
www.ukcar.com
www.channel4.com
http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html
www.efunda.com