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Archives of Foundry, Year 2002, Volume 2, 4 Archiwum Odlewnictwa, Rok 2002, Rocznik 2, Nr 4 PAN Katowice PL ISSN 1642-5308

EXPERIMENTAL AND SIMULATED EVALUATION OF THE QUALITY OF PRESSURE AND SQUEEZE CASTINGS
D.BAINOV1, J.ECH2, L.ZEMK3, 1 koda Auto a.s., Mlad Boleslav, CZ 2, 3 Brno University of Technology, Technick 2, Brno, CZ SUMMARY The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief description of the production of castings using the die- and squeeze-casting technologies, general information on the alloys used for die-casting, description of the AlSi9Cu3 alloy and an analysis of the quality of concrete castings. The analysis consists in a comparison of the results of simulated casting with the X-ray evaluation of the castings and with photographic documentation in terms of the possible occurrence of defects. Key words: squeeze-casting, simulation, castings defects 1. INTRODUCTION Foundry practice is the most economical and easiest way of transforming raw materials into finished products. The increasing demand on the quality of castings made of Al and Mg alloys lead to the technological development of the casting process. One of the advanced casting technologies, namely die-casting, allows for the elimination of defects, specifically the micro-porosity of the casting volume. Castings with complicated shapes and thin walls are cast by the die casting technology, where permanent moulds are exclusively used. One of many such available casting technologies is squeeze casting, which allows for the production of castings with the lowest proportion of defects [1].

1 2 3

Ing, [email protected] Doc. Ing., CSc., [email protected]

26 2. PRINCIPLE OF SQUEEZE CASTING Squeeze casting is a term generally applied to specify the production technology where high pressure is applied to stimulate the solidification process during the pouring. A wider application of this technology (squeeze casting) in series production came about in the 80s and 90s, mainly in Europe and Japan. It is a process with a low filling rate, minimum turbulence and high pressure during solidification, which for the reproducibility of the production of high-quality castings that can be heat-treated. In squeeze casting, a pre-heated die is placed in the pressure machine and molten metal is injected into the cavity, the closing pressure is such that the die is filled and the pressure is maintained until the casting solidifies. Castings made by the squeeze casting technology have a very good structure and good surface finish and no porosity. The mechanical properties of these castings are substantially better than in castings made by traditional die-casting. The casting equipment is more complicated than that for die or gravity casting [3,1]. Finally, in the case of squeeze casting technology, the castings are produced via a simple operation with the lowest energy cost. The process of squeeze casting comprises the following steps: 1. Determining the volume of molten metal that is poured into a pre-heated mould, which is in the rear section of the die casting machine. 2. Activating the pressure in the closed cavity of the mould and pressing the molten metal. 3. Maintaining the pressure in the metal until it solidifies completely. This eliminates porosity in the metal volume. 4. Removing the casting from the mould. The decisive factor in die-casting or squeeze-casting is the mould itself: the shape of the mould (inclusive of the choice of suitable mould material), the production process and a suitable heat treatment of the mould and its maintenance. The moulds for squeeze casting are exposed to critical temperatures and cyclic mechanical stress that may lead to hot cracking, cracking, erosion, and corrosion. The concrete alloy the mould is made of usually influences its character and features of the mould. Currently, the H13 machine steel is generally used in the production of moulds. The moulds should have a high temperature resistance, adequate strength and, above all, a high degree of cleanness and permanent microstructure [3]. As a characteristic differentiating feature of conventional die-casting, we may give the fact that molten metal is poured into the mould at a high speed and the process of filling may often be considered rather an injection than pouring. As a result, air and oxide inclusions get into the mould. During homogenisation, the air that is trapped in the mould could expand and create cracks inside the casting and bubbles on its surface. The pores represent the weak points of the structure and thus the attained mechanical characteristics are below the possibilities of the alloys used.

27 3. ALLUMINIUM ALLOYS USED IN DIE-CASTING The most important aluminium casting alloys are alloys of the type of Al-Si, termed silumin. Examples of some aluminium alloys used in die-casting are shown in Table 1. Die casting alloys are actually special casting alloys, for which very good running properties are essential. In this way, it is possible to obtain castings with a minimum wall thickness, precise shape and smooth surface. However, apart from castability, quite a number of other features are decisive during die-casting, for instance, a tendency to stick to the mould surface or hot cracking. Finally, it is also essential to assess resistance to corrosion and machinability [2].
Table 1. Summary of selected Al casting alloys used in die-casting. Tabela 1. Wybrane odlewnicze stopy aluminium uywane na odlewy cinieniowe Alloy Rm (MPa) Hardness HB Use AlSi13Mn 140-240 50-65 Complicated, thin-walled castings resistant to Corrosion AlSi10MgMn 160-300 50-100 Castings subjected to excessive stress and resistant to corrosion AlSi10Mn 150-190 50-65 Simpler castings, good machinability, small resistance to corrosion AlSi8Cu2Mn 220-260 80-90 Castings for motor vehicles AlSi10CuMnMg 150-190 50-80 Complicated, thin-walled castings small resistance to corrosion AlMg10 180-280 60-80 Castings highly resistant to corrosion AlSi10Mg 220-260 70-85 Castings for the automobile industry AlSi9Cu3 220-260 80-90 Castings for the automobile industry

3.1. AlSi9Cu3 die-casting alloy An example of the material used for die-casting is the cited AlSi9Cu3 alloy.The chemical composition of the AlSi9Cu3 alloy according to the EN 1706 AC Standard is shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Chemical composition of the AlSi9Cu3 alloy Tabela 2. Skad chemiczny stopu AlSi9Cu3. Element Si Cu Mg Mn Fe Zn Ni % 8.52-3.5 0.10.10.6Max Max 10 0.5 0.4 0.9 1.0 0.3

Sn Max 0.1

Cr Max 0.05

Ti Max 0.15

Pb Max 0.2

Many parts for automobile industry are made of this die-casting alloy, for example, clutch housings and gearboxes, engine blocks, cylinder head block covers, etc, which are demanding in terms of shape and to which high requirements apply in terms of quality and mechanical features. These are castings some of whose walls (of 2-mm thickness) are very demanding in terms of shape. For these reasons, a number of quality measurements are performed on these castings. Some of the evaluation methods

28 together with the results are shown in the following part of the paper concerning a casting of the front cylinder head cover (Figure 1), which is manufactured using classical die casting without squeeze casting, and a casting of the cylinder head cover (Figure 2) manufactured using squeeze casting technology. Both parts are installed in car engines.

Fig. 1 General view of the front cylinder block cover casting after machining Rys. 1. Oglny widok odlewu przedniej pokrywy bloku cylindrw po obrbce mechanicznej

Fig. 2 General view of the cylinder block cover casting before machining Rys. 2. Oglny widok odlewu bloku cylindrw przed obrbk mechaniczn

29 The castings of AlSi9Cu3 alloy cited above must meet the requirements for mechanical properties according to the EN 1706 Standard: Tensile strength Rm = min.240 Mpa, Yield point Rp0,2 = min.140 Mpa, Ductility A = min. < 1, Brinell hardness HB = min.80 4. METHODS FOR TESTING THE QUALITY OF DIE CASTINGS 4.1. Numerical simulation of casting using MAGMAsoft simulation software The first step before the actual production of a new part, a change in the casting mould shape or a change in the casting parameters is the calculation of casting simulation, which allows for optimising the casting process. If defects appear in the casting, the calculation of casting simulation is also performed to verify the casting result and subsequently the casting is optimised with the aid of simulation in such a manner as to obtain the desired quality. The calculation of casting simulation provides a number of results progress of mould filling, progress of casting solidification, some mechanical properties of the casting, etc.; one of the most important simulation results is the identification of defects arising in the casting volume. For the cylinder block cover casting, the simulation was performed using the MAGMAsoft software. Before the actual numerical computer simulations, a network was generated that comprised approximately 7 million elements; the total cycle duration was 35 seconds. The 1st casting speed is 0.2 m/s and the 2nd casting speed is 2.3 m/s. The inlet temperature of the AlSi9Cu3 alloy is 600C while that of the mould is 150C. The simulation revealed critical points with micro-porosity in the casting volume. The areas that exhibit defects are shown in figures 3 and 4. Micro-porosity is described in terms of so-called feeding, which gives the volume of missing material (counted up to 100%) in the metal volume. From the figure, it is clear that defects with a microporosity of up to 15% are the critical points. Defects appear at several points, for illustration, 2 critical points are compared at which the micro-porosity is up to 5%. For the simulation of the cylinder block casting, a network of 9.4 million elements was generated. By loading the network, an examination of the overall geometry of the casting and the runner, scoring of casting, overflows, cooling channels and the mould was performed. After this, the input casting parameters were entered. The total duration of the casting cycle is 120 s. The 1st casting speed is 0.16 m/s and the 2nd casting speed is 4.5 m/s. The inlet temperature of the AlSi9Cu3 alloy is 630C and that of the mould is 180C. Three coolants were entered for the cooling channel system water 30C, oil 50C and air 20C. The simulation of the cylinder block casting also shows a number of critical points with a micro-porosity of up to 12% (Figure 5). The most frequent critical point is the water pump area, where the micro-porosity is higher. Other areas where the simulation identified micro-porosity are the bearing areas. The micro-porosity in the bearing areas of the block is eliminated via squeeze casting. Due to the fact that the MAGMAsoft simulation software does not, for the present, allow the inclusion of the squeeze casting process, the calculation was performed by the classical procedure for

30 die casting as in the case of the cylinder block cover and thus the bearing areas on the cylinder block show defects in the bearings.

Msta s mikroporezitou 3%. Micro-porosity up to do 3%

Fig. 3 Identification of defects in the casting volume of the cylinder block cover Rys. 3. Identyfikacja defektw w objtoci odlewu pokrywy bloku cylindrw

Kritick msta Micro-porosity s mikroporezitou do 5%

up to 5%

Fig. 4 Identification of defects in the casting volume of the cylinder block cover Rys. 4. Identyfikacja defektw w objtoci odlewu pokrywy bloku cylindrw

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Kritick msto s mikroporezitou Micro-porosity up todo 12%

Fig. 5 Identification of defects in the casting volume of the cylinder block Rys. 5. Identyfikacja defektw w objtoci odlewu bloku cylindrw

4.2. Visual evaluation of casting quality Defects are also discovered after machining the casting or making cross-sectioning the casting. Figures 6 to 7 show the defects on the casting of the front cylinder block cover made by the die-casting technology. All the figures show defects exposed by machining the casting. 4.3. X-ray evaluation of casting quality This is one of the methods that contribute to the evaluation of the casting quality. The X-ray test facilities form an essential part of larger foundries. The identification of defects in the engine block and cylinder block was done on a Seifert 160kV X-ray machine. The pictures were taken at 66kV and 4mA and processed on a Seifert Vistaplus 2. In the series production of engine blocks and cylinder block covers, the Xray examination is always performed at the beginning of the working shift. The casting is dissected at the bearing areas and the individual parts are subjected at an x-ray examination. In case the casting does not meet the desired quality requirements, another casting is subsequently taken for X-ray examination. Due to the fact that the pictures taken by the X-ray machine are not easy to reproduce, they are not presented.

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Fig. 6 Visual identifications of defects on the front cylinder block cover after machining Rys. 6. Wizualna identyfikacja defektw na powierzchni odlewu pokrywy bloku cylindrw po obrbce mechanicznej

Fig. 7 Visual identifications of defects on the front cylinder block cover after machining Rys. 7. Wizualna identyfikacja defektw w odlewie pokrywy bloku cylindrw po obrbce mechanicznej

4.4. Evaluation of the casting quality using computer tomography Computer tomography is usually used to evaluate the casting quality only during the development of a new casting or when starting the series production of such a

33 casting. This was also the case of the development of the engine block casting technology. The casting was examined in many detailed sections on the CT machine and the result was a series of foils with detailed identification of the micro-porosity in the metal volume. Among the most critical points was the flange of the water pump, where the size of the defects was the largest. Due to the fact that the CT pictures cannot be copied, they are not shown in the annex. 5. CONCLUSIONS AND EVALUATION In all, two die-castings were evaluated in terms of quality: cylinder block cover cylinder block Unlike the cylinder block cover, the cylinder block was cast by the latest diecasting technology squeeze casting. This difference shows in the results of the casting simulation where squeeze casting was not considered so that a larger volume of microporosity was found in the areas of the cylinder block bearings. From a comparison of the results of the individual methods for evaluation of castings, it is clear that the results show good correspondence, that is, a defect in the given area of the casting is identifiable in all four evaluations. There is, however, a difference in the precision with which the given method identifies the defect. The most precise is the CT method while the least precise is visual examination. Quality control using the CT method is also the least demanding in terms of casting preparation, i.e. it is not essential to cut the casting into individual sections as is the case in visual or X-ray examination. Currently, the demands on the quality of castings are continuously increasing and quality control is thus an integral part of their production process. The contribution was prepared with the support of GAR 160/02/0352 and research plan CZ 390 003. REFERENCES [1] [2] [3] [4] M. R. Gromashchi, Squeeze casting: an overview, Journal of Materials Processing Technology 101 (2000) A. Vetika a kol., Teoretick zklady slevrensk technologie, SNTL/ALFA Praha 1972 (A. Vetika et al, Fundamental theory of casting technology, SNTL/ALFA Praha 1972) Kaufmann, H: SqueezeCasting und Druckguss: Eigenschaftsvergleich anhand eines Lenkgehuses, Giesserei, Nr 5-6, 1995 MAGMA promotional materials

34 EKSPERYMENTALNA I SYMULACYJNA OCENA JAKOCI ODLEWW CINIENIOWYCH I PRASOWANYCH STRESZCZENIE Celem artykuu jest krtki opis produkcji odleww technologi cinieniow i z doprasowaniem, dostarczenie podstawowych informacji o stopach aluminium na odlewy cinieniowe, opisu stopu AlSi9Cu3 i analizy jakoci konkretnych odleww. Analiza opiera si na porwnaniu wynikw symulacji z wynikami przewietlania odleww promieniami Roentgena i dokumentacj fotograficzn pod wzgldem moliwoci wystpienia wad. Recenzowa Prof. Stanisaw Jura