Metallurgy and Solidification Microstructure Control of Fusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Fabricated Metallic Alloys:A Review

The metal-based additive manufacturing(AM),also referred to as metal 3D printing,has drawn particular interest because it enables direct creation,aided by computationally-directed path design,of intricate components with site-specific compositions and geometrical requirements as well as low buy-to-fly ratios.During the last two decades,the objective of this revolutionary technology has been shifting from only“rapid prototyping”to advanced manufacturing of special high-end products or devices,which,in many aspects,outperform conventional manufacturing technologies.For fusion-based AM,significant progress has been achieved in understanding the processing window of macroscopic scales,non-equilibrium metallurgy of mesoscale scales,and grain evolution of microscopic scales.Although the versatile capacity of AM facilitates new avenues for discovering advanced materials and structures,their potential has still not been fully explored.Given the unique non-equilibrium solidification during the AM process,coarse columnar grains with strong textures are usually developed along the build direction,which downgrades the mechanical performance.To push the limits of this digital manufacturing,this review attempts to provide in-depth and comprehensive overviews of the recent progress in understanding the evolution and control of the as-built microstructure that has been made recently and the challenges encountered during the AM process.

Thin-walled and large-sized magnesium alloy die castings for passenger car cockpit:Application,materials,and manufacture

In order to effectively reduce energy consumption and increase range mile,new energy vehicles represented by Tesla have greatly aroused the application of integrated magnesium(Mg)alloy die casting technology in automobiles.Previously,the application of Mg alloys in automobiles,especially in automotive cockpit components,is quite extensive,while it has almost disappeared for a period of time due to its relatively high cost,causing a certain degree of information loss in the application technology of Mg alloy parts in automobiles.The rapid development of automotive technology has led to a higher requirement for the automotive components compared with those traditional one.Therefore,whatever the components themselves,or the Mg alloy materials and die casting process have to face an increasing challenge,needing to be upgraded.In addition,owing to its high integration characteristics,the application of Mg alloy die casting technology in large-sized and thin-walled automotive parts has inherent advantages and needs to be expanded urgently.Indeed,it necessitates exploring advance Mg alloys and new product structures and optimizing die casting processes.This article summarizes and analyzes the development status of thin-walled and large-sized die casting Mg alloy parts in passenger car cockpit and corresponding material selection methods,die casting processes as well as mold design techniques.Furthermore,this work will aid researchers in establishing a comprehensive understanding of the manufacture of thin-walled and large-sized die casting Mg alloy parts in automobile cockpit.It will also assist them in developing new Mg alloys with improved comprehensive performance and new processes to meet the high requirements for die casting automotive components.